WASHINGTON – Authorities in the United States have finally vetted the entry of Israel into the Visa Waiver Program, it emerged on Wednesday.
Joe Biden’s administration has confirmed it will allow Israelis to travel visa-free to the United States, defying the criticism of rights activists.
In a statement on Wednesday, the US Department of Homeland Security confirmed that Israel had been designated for the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) and that Israeli nationals will be able to travel to the US without a visa by November 30.
“The designation of Israel into the Visa Waiver Program is an important recognition of our shared security interests and the close cooperation between our two countries,” Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said.
“This designation, which represents over a decade of work and coordination between the United States and Israel, will enhance our two nations’ collaboration on counterterrorism, law enforcement, and our other common priorities.”
Commenting on the development, Michael Herzog, Israel’s ambassador to the US, branded it as a “significant milestone” in the relationship between the two countries.
“Our people-to-people ties, which are the backbone of our special relationship, will only grow stronger,” Herzog wrote in a social media post.
The move comes days after Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly Session and pledged continued cooperation.
The prospect of Israel’s entry into the VWP has faced widespread condemnation from Arab-American civil rights advocates because one of the main elements of the programme is “reciprocity” which means that countries in the VWP must allow visa-free travel for American citizens in exchange for a similar relaxation of visa requirements for their own nationals travelling to the US.
There have been multiple incidents of Israeli authorities denying entry to US and other foreign nationals of Palestinian and other Arab descent, Israel controls all access to the occupied Palestinian territories.
In 2019, a controversy spiked when Israel barred US Congresswomen Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib from visiting the country and the occupied Palestinian territories, citing “their boycott activities against Israel”.
Although US officials have pledged that in order to be accepted into the VWP, Israel would have to treat Americans equally, rights advocates are skeptical about whether Israel would live up to its promises.
In July, US and Israeli officials signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at facilitating Israel’s entry into the program but the contents of the document allow Israel to deny entry to Americans citing “legitimate security concerns”, a provision which can be exploited anytime.
It is still not clear whether US citizens in Gaza would be able to leave the besieged territory under the new regulations or otherwise.
In Wednesday’s statement, the Biden administration said Israel “made updates to its entry policies to meet the VWP requirement to extend reciprocal privileges to all US citizens without regard to national origin, religion, or ethnicity”.
“This important achievement will enhance freedom of movement for U.S. citizens, including those living in the Palestinian Territories or traveling to and from them,” said US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
