Amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict, the United States has officially admitted Israel into the visa waiver program on September 27. This program allows Israelis to visit the U.S. for up to 90 days without applying for a visa. It started ahead of the regular schedule, although no specific reason was provided.
This development is influenced by a recent surge in hostilities between Israel and Hamas, potentially affecting the program’s timeline. Critics argue that Palestinian Americans still face discrimination when visiting Israel, as the waiver program mandates equitable treatment for all U.S. citizens, including Palestinian Americans, when traveling to or through Israel.
Countries in the Visa Waiver Program are required to allow visa-free travel for American citizens in reciprocity for similar easing of visa requirements for their nationals traveling to the U.S. However, Israeli authorities routinely deny entry to scores of U.S. and other foreign nationals of Palestinian and Arab descent, as they control all access to the occupied Palestinian territories. In 2019, Israel barred U.S. Congresswomen Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib from visiting the country and the occupied Palestinian territories, citing their boycott activities against Israel. Arab-American civil rights advocates have criticized Israel’s entry into the Visa Waiver Program.