Posted on 10/19/22
| News Source: i24
'The issue is American visitors and whether an American visitor would be discriminated against'
The United States Department of Homeland Security has said that Israel has not yet met the necessary requirements to join the Visa Waiver Program, according to Tuesday reports.
Representative Don Beyer reportedly penned a letter saying that Homeland Security Assistant Secretary for Legislative Affairs Alice Lugo told him in September that “Israel does not currently meet all [visa waiver program] designation requirements, including extending reciprocal visa-free travel privileges to all U.S. citizens and nationals.”
In September, the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations had a meeting where Senator Chris Van Hollen brought up the subject of reciprocity when discussing Israel's inclusion in the Visa Waiver Program, which the Jewish state has attempted to join for quite some time.
"The issue is American visitors and whether an American visitor would be discriminated against based on their ethnicity or race," Van Hollen stated. "And if you look at them… it is pretty clear to me that if you are a Palestinian-American, you will have different treatment if you want to travel to the West Bank, than if you are another American who wants to go visit a settlement on the West Bank."