US To Test Palestinian Americans’ Movement Across Israeli Borders Ahead of Visa Exemption

The United States will test the freedom of movement Palestinian Americans have across Israeli borders next month, ahead of the proposed introduction of US visa exemptions for Israelis, an official briefed on the preparations said on Monday.

Israel hopes to be admitted to the US Visa Waiver Program by October. The program permits foreign citizens of some 40 countries to travel to the US for business or tourism for stays of up to 90 days without a visa.

Israel has already fulfilled some of the conditions required to be admitted to the program, but what remains is to demonstrate reciprocal access for Palestinian Americans across Israel’s borders, including into and out of the West Bank.

Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen said on Sunday that a “pilot program” to keep Israel’s candidacy for the visa waiver program on track would be launched in mid-July. He did not elaborate.

However, an official briefed on the preparations said the pilot program would entail a 30- to 45-day period during which US delegates would keep tabs on Palestinian Americans’ travels through Israel’s Ben-Gurion Airport and across West Bank checkpoints.

The program will test access both for Palestinian Americans living in the US as well as those based in the West Bank. According to the Arab American Institute Foundation, there are between 122,500 and 220,000 Palestinian-descended Americans, of whom 45,000 to 60,000 reside in the West Bank.

The pilot program will not apply to the Islamist Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip, where a small number of Palestinian Americans live.