Israel Announces US Visa Waiver, But The US Says Decision On Waiver Has Yet To Be Reached

JERUSALEM (VINnews) — Israelן Foreign Minister Eli Cohen declared Monday night that Israel would be joining the US’s Visa Waiver Program and termed it “important news for all Israelis.” However a US State Dept. spokesman cooled Israel’s enthusiasm and said that a decision has yet to be reached on the matter.

“The Secretary of Homeland Security, in consultation with the Secretary of State, will make a determination in the coming days,” he said.

The two are widely expected to do so by the end of this week.

Under the VWP, “anyone who wants to will be able to fill out a form online, pay $21 and receive an entry permit within 72 hours,” Cohen said.

“This is a great achievement that is a testament to the close relations between Israel and our greatest all the US.”

Israel has sought to join the program, which enables citizens to travel to the United States without a visa, for decades. Currently, Israelis who do not hold citizenship in any of the 40 countries in the waiver program must apply for permission to travel to the United States, a process that typically results in a visa but can be extensive.

The US has long held up entry over Israel’s treatment of Palestinian Americans. A key condition for entry into the VWP is a commitment by applying countries to grant equal travel rights to all US citizens.

Jerusalem recently took a series of steps to rectify this, the latest of which was an easing of travel guidelines for US citizens from the Gaza Strip, who will henceforth be able to enter Israel for short-term stays, visit Judea and Samaria and travel abroad.

A similar improvement of conditions for Judean and Samarian Palestinians with US citizenship was finalized in July. Some 6,000 Palestinians with American passports have already taken advantage of the new conditions and entered Israel.