United States to assess travel rights for Palestine-American dual citizens in Israel during July
Title: Trial Run for Palestinian-Americans' Travel Rights in Israel: A Step Towards US Visa Waiver for Israelis
In a bid to prep for potential US visa exemptions for Israelis, the United States plans to test Palestinian-Americans' freedom of travel in Israel next month. According to reports, this move is an essential step in Israel's pursuit of entry into the US Visa Waiver Program (VWP), with a tentative admission slated for October.
Israel has managed to tick off some VWP prerequisites, but there's one crucial aspect yet to be addressed: demonstrating equal travel rights for Palestinian-Americans at Israel's borders and in the Occupied West Bank. Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen hinted at a "pilot program" to keep the country's VWP candidacy on track, set to kick off in mid-July.
This pilot program will involve a 30- to 45-day observation period, where US delegates will keep tabs on Palestinian-American travel at Ben-Gurion Airport and across West Bank checkpoints. Of note, this pilot program is not just for US-based Palestinian-Americans but also for those residing within the West Bank.
Such a trial run could add pressure to Israeli forces already dealing with violence in the West Bank, where Palestinian statehood hopes have been stagnant for almost a decade amid US-mediated peace talks. The Biden administration has been at odds with Israel's government regarding illegal Jewish settlements in the West Bank.
The US-Israel test aims to ensure that Palestinian-Americans living in cities like Ramallah can spend up to 90 days in Tel Aviv on an Israeli entry visa. Despite the preparations, it's unclear how Israel intends to accommodate this pilot program.
Based on US census data, conservative estimates indicate around 220,000 Palestinian-descended Americans, with roughly 45,000 to 60,000 living in the West Bank. The pilot program won't apply to the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip, home to a small number of Palestinian- Americans.
The move has sparked opposition from those who view it as an underlying form of discrimination against Palestinian-Americans. Given the Biden administration's commitment to monitoring Israel's compliance with equal travel rights, Israel risks losing its VWP status should it continue to discriminate against Palestinian-Americans.
- The United States is planning to test Palestinian-Americans' travel rights in Israel next month as part of Israel's pursuit of entry into the US Visa Waiver Program (VWP).
- The Israeli Foreign Minister, Eli Cohen, hinted at a "pilot program" to maintain Israel's VWP candidacy, which is scheduled to start in mid-July.
- This trial run will involve US delegates observing Palestinian-American travel at Ben-Gurion Airport and across West Bank checkpoints for a 30- to 45-day period.
- The pilot program will apply to US-based Palestinian-Americans as well as those residing within the West Bank.
- The Biden administration has been critical of Israel's government regarding illegal Jewish settlements in the West Bank, which could add to the pressure on Israeli forces dealing with violence in the region.
- The US-Israel test aims to ensure that Palestinian-Americans living in cities like Ramallah can spend up to 90 days in Tel Aviv on an Israeli entry visa.
- The move has sparked opposition from those who view it as an underlying form of discrimination against Palestinian-Americans.
- The United Nations and the international community, particularly the United States, have emphasized the importance of equal travel rights for all, and Israel risks losing its VWP status should it continue to discriminate against Palestinian-Americans.
