From Reuters:
“Israel, in U.S. visa talks,
eyes easing access for Palestinian-Americans”
Israel is prepared to permit
Palestinian-American dual nationals to transit its territory as part of an
emerging U.S. visa waiver deal for its citizens, a top Israeli official said on
Tuesday. With U.S.-sponsored peacemaking long stalled and violence simmering in
the occupied West Bank and in Gaza, Israel strictly limits access by
Palestinians - including to the Tel Aviv and Eilat airports, both a few hours'
drive from the territories.
Instead, Palestinians coming in
from abroad generally make more onerous trips through Jordan and the
Israeli-run West Bank boundary, or through Egypt's Sinai desert, which borders
Gaza. Giving Palestinian-Americans
domiciled in the territories an Israel-transit option "is a demand by the
Americans going back many years", Israeli Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked
said. "The Shin Bet (Israeli security service) can handle it, and in the
context of the visa waivers - if that process does indeed happen - an American
who also has Palestinian citizenship will be able to enter Israel like any
American," she told reporters. The deal could be concluded in February
2023, she added.
U.S. State Department spokesman
Ned Price, discussing the visa waiver talks on Dec 28, said Washington would
"continue to work with Israel toward fulfilling the equal treatment of all
Americans ... seeking to enter or transit through Israel". Shaked said her
staff was also addressing U.S. complaints that Arab-Americans are subject to
unusually intrusive questioning by Israeli airport security. Among proposals,
she said, was for security agents to receive airline passenger lists 12 hours
in advance, to enable more selective screening. Another condition for U.S. visa
waiver is reducing the current Israeli applicant refusal rate to 3%, both sides
say. Shaked said 40% of those rejected filled in application forms incorrectly,
and that her ministry was considering offering instructional materials to
rectify this.
^ I would like to see Israelis be
included into the US’ Visa Waiver Program. ^
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