Palestinian-US organisations outraged at Israel visa waiver

The Biden administration has just made it much easier for Israelis to enter the US

Ben Gurion International Airport, near Tel Aviv. Reuters

Leading Palestinian-US civil society organisations have roundly criticised the Biden administration's decision on Wednesday to allow Israel into a visa-waiver programme.

Nine organisations that represent Palestinian, Arab and Muslim Americans signed a letter expressing outrage, saying the decision will "not only diminish the integrity of the Visa Waiver Programme but enshrine discrimination against US citizens into law".

The US initiative to ease travel for several countries by not requiring their citizens to obtain visas stipulates that partner countries must in turn not deny entry or discriminate against Americans.

One caveat is the existence of reasonable grounds for doing so, for example, if an individual is a wanted criminal.

The Palestinian-American community – numbering as many as 220,000 people according to the Arab American Institute Foundation – often criticises Israel for making entry into the country significantly harder and more intrusive.

The letter said ongoing discrimination at ports of entry means Israel does not fully meet "requirements outlined by the law".

"Instead of requiring Israel to comply with the statutory requirement of reciprocity, the agreement signed between the US and Israel completely flouts this principle by allowing Israel to implement different entry procedures that distinguish between US citizens based on ethnicity, the IDs they hold, and various other factors," it added.

Israelis will now be able to gain entry by filling out the US Electronic System for Travel Authorisation, bypassing the months-long process of acquiring a visa previously in place, despite Israel being one of the US's closest allies.

The US embassy charge d’affaires in Israel said on Tuesday that the decision is "yet another reflection of the strength of our bilateral security, economic and cultural relationship”.

Israel has some of the strictest airport security in the world, which means foreign citizens face more scrutiny while entering and leaving the country. Muslims, people with connections to the Middle East and those with a history of travelling to countries in the region often face particularly intense questioning and security scanning.

The letter went on to say that signatories have "no faith that Israel will fully abide by the rules and regulations set forth by the Visa Waiver Programme, especially after being officially admitted".

"Many crucial questions about the decision's ethical implications have been raised, given Israel's long history of discriminatory actions against US citizens and Palestinians in contravention of the programme’s requirements and international law," it added.

The system is expected to be in place by the end of November. Israel will be the 41st country in the programme.