Some 65 US senators have called on the Biden administration to finalize efforts regarding the visa waiver program by September 30, which would enable Israeli nationals to travel to the country without a visa.
Currently, Israelis have to apply for permission in order to travel to the United States, which usually is a lengthy, VisaGuide.World reports.
The senators have sent a letter directed to the Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Security Secretary Alejandro Majorkas, which asks for Israel to be included in the Visa Waiver Program, pointing out the final roadblock that is keeping Israel out of the program – the profiling of Arab Americans seeking entry into Israel, while they continue pushing for the September deadline.
“We recognize that there are still outstanding issues that must be addressed before Israel’s participation in the program can be finalized, and we urge both sides to continue working toward addressing these issues – including the reciprocal treatment of US citizens — to ensure Israel’s compliance with all program requirements before the deadline of September 30, 2023,” the letter says.
The letter, which is also supported by the current US ambassador to Israel, Tom Nides, aims to finalize Israel’s entry into the visa program before he is done with his mandate.
The Middle Eastern country has, in recent years, met two of the requirements for entry into the program, which included the visa refusal rate, as it dropped below the requisite level of three percent.
In addition, Israel’s government has passed laws and applied measures that enable intelligence-sharing among the member nations.
However, the program’s reciprocity remains a roadblock as the waiver must apply to all citizens, regardless of ethnic or religious origin. Israel, on the other hand, requires special permits for Americans holding Palestinian identity documents, and the State Department has reported that over the years, some US citizens of Arab or Muslim heritage have experienced difficulties and unequal treatment at Israel’s border and checkpoints.
A number of Democratic Party members have joined Arab Americans and other groups in demanding full reciprocity as a condition for Israel to be able to join the Visa Waiver Program.
A letter sent last month to Blinken and Mayorkas from 14 Senate Democrats called on the Biden administration not to compromise on the “blue is blue” rule, meaning that all Americans that are holders of a blue passport should be accorded the same treatment. The new letter sent Wednesday was co-signed by 26 Democrats and 39 Republicans.