This month, the U.S. will assess the ability of Palestinian-Americans to travel through points of entry controlled by Israel. This pilot program forms part of the groundwork for a potential U.S. waiver of visa requirements for Israeli citizens.
In a significant move Wednesday, 21 June, 65 U.S. Senators urged President Biden’s administration to consider Israel’s membership in the Visa Waiver Program (VWP). The VWP, set up in 2000, is aimed at enhancing connectivity between the United States and its allies by lifting the B-visa necessity for travel shorter than 90 days. With compliance criteria such as reciprocity, a visa rejection rate below 3%, and a machine-readable passport, countries must meet these standards to be eligible for the program. If approved, Israel would join the list of 40 countries currently in the VWP, facilitating smoother travel processes, reduced costs, and minimized paperwork for its citizens.
Although the Israeli government claims that it has complied with most of the VWP’s prerequisites, the issue of reciprocity, intertwined with its restrictive policies towards Palestinians, has emerged as a sticking point. This concern was underlined by the 65 senators in their letter to State Department Secretary Blinken and Secretary Mayorkas of Homeland Security, urging the resolution of these problems ahead of the September 30, 2023 deadline.
Nineteen House Representatives also voiced concerns, pressing the Biden administration and the State Department to ensure equal treatment for all U.S. citizens by Israeli authorities, including Arab American, Muslim American, and Palestinian American communities who often face discrimination at Israeli entry points.
The U.S. embassy in Israel is reportedly formulating an exemption agreement for Israel’s shortcomings on reciprocity, despite the State Department acknowledging discriminatory practices against U.S. citizens on account of their national origin, religion, and ethnic identity.
The debate around Israel’s VWP participation has added another layer of complexity to American-Israeli relations, amidst the suspension of U.S. funding for Israeli corporations in the West Bank.
Furthermore, advocacy by Palestinians and their supporters against the VWP could potentially stymie its implementation. On June 30, community organizations advocating for Palestinian Americans met with Homeland Security and State Department officials, aiming to sway policymakers’ perspectives on Israel’s potential compliance with VWP regulations.
The organizations have outlined six concrete demands, with a focus on ensuring unimpeded movement for Palestinians at Israeli checkpoints and the dissolution of the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) procedures. The intention is to compel policymakers to take a more critical stance against the potential consequences for Palestinians, both within and outside the diaspora.
Palestine Legal has also warned that the Canary Mission could be used to target American academics who support pro-Palestinian causes, suggesting a broader issue with the VWP. They argue that even if Israel meets the less than 3% visa refusal threshold, existing Israeli policies toward Palestinians abroad could make the VWP implementation challenging, if not unworkable.
Advocates have also warned of possible global repercussions, specifically for Palestinians residing in territories under Israeli control. They argue that the implementation of the VWP could inadvertently endorse Israel’s ongoing movement restrictions for Palestinians within Palestine, contradicting the program’s fundamental premise of unhindered mobility.
As summer 2023 progresses, the VWP debate may prove to be a critical test of American-Israeli relations, shining a spotlight on the challenge of balancing international diplomacy, fairness in travel, and human rights considerations.
