Last week, Ambassadors from the U.S. and Israel signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to set conditions for Israel to enter the U.S. Visa Waiver Program. The MOU will start a four-to-six-week trial period to ensure equal treatment of all U.S. travelers to Israel.
- Part of the trial period will allow Palestinian Americans from the West Bank, Iranian Americans, and other Arab Americans to travel to Israel for 90 days without background checks.
- During the trial period, U.S. citizens will be able to travel to Israel for 90 days without a visa during the trial period, but Israelis will not be able to travel to the U.S. without a visa.
A special team from the State Department and DHS will arrive this week in Israel to monitor the pilot program and review Israel’s implementation of the MOU. The U.S. is expected to decide whether Israel should be allowed to join the Visa Waiver Program on Sept. 30.
Erickson Insights & Analysis
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