Congresswoman Lowey Raps High Rate of Denial by US of Visas for Young Israelis

Congresswoman Nita Lowey has accused the State Department and US Embassy in Tel Aviv of bias against young Israelis seeking visas to enter the United States. Triggered by a case involving a constituent, Lowey wants to know why the refusal rate (those denied visas) was a whopping 48% last year, compared with 2.5% in 2007. Lowey sent a letter to the American ambassador in Israel asking him to look into the matter. One suggestion is that the high refusal rate is a reaction to the phenomenon of young Israelis abusing their tourist status by working illegally at kiosks in shopping malls. Lowey sees the turn-away rate as also turning away revenue for the US in the form of making the US a preferred destination for Israelis who typically travel for months following three years of compulsory army service.