US will let Israelis visa-free travel

There is good news for Israeli nationals who are interested in visiting the United States: it seems that they will soon be able to enter the United States without the need for a visa.
These policies are going to be implemented by the administration of President Joe Biden, and the Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen reacted to the news by saying that it was “great news” for the nation.

Even though the United States government has not yet made the statement in an official capacity, it is anticipated that it will do so within the next several days. This was said by a representative for the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS), who told Al Jazeera that the “DHS and the State Department will make a final determination in the coming days.” The assertion was confirmed by this statement.

Concerns have been raised over Israel’s treatment of Arab-American and Palestinian tourists in the middle of the country’s impending admittance into the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) in the United States. The impending announcement has proven to be divisive, as activists for Arab-American civil rights have voiced their disapproval of the decision while supporters of Israel have voiced their approval of the move.

The principle of reciprocity, which is an essential part of the VWP, is one of the primary sticking points that is creating the bulk of the pushback. The member nations of the VWP are required to relax their visa rules in a manner similar to this one.

It is believed that the fact that Israeli authorities regulate access to occupied Palestinian territory runs contrary to the principle of reciprocity because of this. Israel has the right to refuse entry to people of Palestinian and Arab origin who are foreign nationals.

This procedure of joining the program had its start back in July, when US and Israeli officials signed a memorandum of understanding to officially begin the process of entering the program. This trial period will come to an end at the end of the month; hence, the statement made refers to a “determination in the coming days.”

It is not yet apparent if American citizens now located in Gaza have the ability to leave the region, nor is it clear under what circumstances Israel has the authority to prevent American citizens from entering the country on the basis of security concerns. There are also certain legal repercussions involved with equal treatment, some of which might potentially violate the Constitution of the United States.