Israel wants to allow its citizens to enter the US without a visa. The government now allows Americans to enter through its international airport. This also applies to Palestinians with dual citizenship.
Israel allows all US citizens, including dual Palestinians, to enter through its international airport. National Security Adviser Sachi Hanekbi said the provision will come into force from today.
Palestinians were not explicitly mentioned in the Israeli statement. It said any American would be allowed to enter, including dual citizens, “Americans in Judea and Samaria” — the Bible’s term for the West Bank — and Americans living in the Gaza Strip.
The US wants to decide whether to join the visa program
The decision was prompted by the government’s desire to allow Israeli citizens from 40 countries to enter the US without a visa. The new rule will strengthen Israel-US ties and “bring us closer to the US government’s regulations for the visa waiver program,” Hanekpi said.
The plan has so far stalled over US demands that Israel treat all US citizens equally, including Palestinians with US passports, who are often denied entry through Ben Gurion Airport. Instead, travelers from the West Bank or Gaza Strip must enter through neighboring Jordan or Egypt. Other Americans of Arab descent or Muslim faith experience similar restrictions.
US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said the US is monitoring other aspects of the visa waiver program in addition to implementing the new guidelines. A decision will then be made on September 30 whether Israel will be included in the plan.
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