US Said Mulling Visa Ban for Israelis Linked to Attacks on Palestinians
The US Embassy in Israel is considering a ban on issuing visas for Israelis who have been accused of attacks on Palestinians in the West Bank, according to a report in the local media.
Israel Hayom says that the so-called blacklist would extend to Israelis who have not been convicted of such attacks in court but are suspected of carrying them out.
The move follows several attacks by Israelis on Palestinians in the West Bank, the report says, adding that persons whose names appear on such a list would find it “difficult or even impossible to successfully apply for a visa to the United States.”
The newspaper says that the new policy reflects American “frustration” at Israel’s lackluster efforts to stem violence between Jews and Arabs in the West Bank and hints that the prospective visa ban could impact members of Prime Minister-designate Binyamin Netanyahu’s new right-wing government.
