In a significant move towards securing visa-free travel for its citizens to the United States, Israel announced on Wednesday that all American citizens, regardless of background or residency, will be permitted entry through Ben-Gurion Airport. This includes dual-nationality Palestinians residing in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, a point of contention in previous negotiations.
Israel's pursuit of visa-free travel to the US, a privilege currently enjoyed by 40 other nations, has been a long-standing objective. However, previous attempts have been unsuccessful due to concerns raised by the US government regarding Israel's treatment of Palestinian-Americans and other US citizens of Arab or Muslim heritage, who often faced restrictions and were frequently redirected to enter through neighboring countries like Jordan or Egypt when traveling to the West Bank or Gaza.
This new policy, effective Thursday, represents a critical step in meeting the requirements of the US Visa Waiver Program. US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller confirmed that the US will closely monitor Israel's implementation and adherence to these new policies, as well as other aspects of the Visa Waiver Program, before making a final decision on Israel's inclusion by September 30th.
Tzachi Hanegbi, Israel's national security adviser, expressed optimism that this change will bolster the relationship between the two nations and bring Israel closer to fulfilling all the prerequisites for the visa waiver program. While the official Israeli statement refrained from explicitly mentioning Palestinians, it emphasized that the new protocol grants entry to "every single American", specifically including those with dual nationality and residents of the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
