Voices from the Arab press: Arab-Americans and Visa Waiver Program

• Author: THE MEDIA LINE
• Published date: 08 October 2021
• Publication title: Jerusalem Post, The: Web Edition Articles (Israel)

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Al-Ittihad, UAE, October 1

Prime Minister Naftali Bennett concluded his visit to the US last week, where he met with President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Upon returning to Israel, Bennett spoke to the press and claimed that he is coming back with "full hands," referencing different "gifts" he received from his American hosts.

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A US State Department spokesman said that Blinken and Bennett "agreed on the importance of including Israel in the Visa Waiver Program," as an example of the promises Bennett received. But a statement by Biden after the meeting made use of slightly more subtle language in reference to this point: "We will direct our efforts to work together toward Israel's fulfillment of the requirements of the Visa Waiver Program."

I was well prepared for Bennett to seek new aid commitments for Israel vis-a-vis Iran and win American silence on settlements and Palestinian human rights, but I was surprised by the reference to the Visa Waiver Program. I was hoping that the door to this idea was closed shut after the State Department made it clear in 2014 that Israel could not qualify for the program due to its treatment of Arab-Americans, especially those of Palestinian origin, seeking to enter the country. One of the requirements of the Visa Waiver Program is a clear commitment to reciprocity. This means ensuring that Israel treats all American citizens reciprocally when they enter its territory, as the US is committed to doing toward all Israeli citizens.

In 2014, a US State Department spokesperson justified the refusal to allow Israel to enter the Visa Waiver Program based on the fact that the US remained "concerned about the asymmetric treatment that Palestinian Americans and Americans of other Middle Eastern origin at Israel's borders and checkpoints." This is because many Arab-Americans, even those born in the US, continue to face obstacles when attempting to enter Israel with their US passports. Some have been told that Israel does not recognize their US passports or citizenship and considers them Palestinians, thereby requiring them to obtain a Palestinian identity card, and enter Israel through the Allenby Bridge land crossing from Jordan.

Over the years, hundreds of protests have been lodged with the State Department that...