US Admits Israel Into Visa Waiver Program
The US government has announced that it is admitting Israel into a program that will allow visa-free entry by Israeli citizens starting November 30.
Admission to the US Visa Waiver Program (VWP), which Israel’s Foreign Ministry said was expected, is a win for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at a time when relations between his religious-nationalist government and Washington have been strained over its judiciary overhaul plan and policies toward Palestinians.
Meanwhile, some Palestinians have protested against Israel’s entry into the program, saying Israel for decades has discriminated against Arab Americans and harassed them at its borders.
Four Democratic US senators including Chris Hollen said Israel has failed to meet requirements to treat all American travelers equally.
However, US Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said the announcement further “strengthens the security, economic and people-to-people ties between the United States and Israel.”
Palestinian-Americans living in the West Bank or living in the United States now can enter Israel visa-free, and fly in and out of Ben Gurion airport, reducing barriers to travel for these Americans, the US said.
Netanyahu praised the decision as a “significant and joyous moment for all Israeli citizens.”
There were previously 40 countries in the VWP, with nations added infrequently. Croatia was the most recent in 2021.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the announcement “will enhance freedom of movement for U.S. citizens, including those living in the Palestinian Territories or traveling to and from them.”
Report says in a pilot period since July 20, Israel has eased access for Palestinian Americans through its borders and the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
According to Israel’s Interior Ministry, more than 130,000 Americans entered Israel since the pilot began, including 6,070 Palestinian Americans.
However, On Tuesday, the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee filed suit seeking to block Israel’s entry to the program. A US judge in Detroit denied an emergency motion, saying the Homeland Security Department had not received proper notice of the lawsuit.
REUTERS/Christopher Ojilere
