Topline
The Department of Homeland Security announced Thursday eligible Israeli citizens and nationals can now apply for visa-free travel to the U.S. for short-term stays lasting up to 90 days—a travel program that comes amid an increasingly violent armed conflict between Israel and Hamas.
Applicable citizens and nationals will need to have biometrically enabled passport books. (Photo by … [+]
Key Facts
The program, which was originally set to become effective for Israelis on November 30, requires applicable citizens and nationals to have biometrically enabled passport books, according to the DHS.
West Bank and Gaza residents are not included in the program.
Applications can take up to three days for processing and are evaluated by an automated system that helps with eligibility determinations and whether applicants pose security risks.
Israelis staying in the U.S. under the waiver program can be removed from the country and made ineligible for future program travel if they go past their authorized stay length.
What To Watch For
Israel has proposed a similar program for residents of the West Bank, which is inhabited by Palestinians and Israeli settlers, as of May 2024, according to NBC.
Tangent
The Biden Administration is looking to decrease charter flights for Americans who want to leave Israel, Politico reported Thursday. The move may be done in response to fewer Americans seeking to leave the region despite the Israel-Hamas conflict, which began October 7 with a surprise Hamas attack on southern Israel.
Key Background
Senate Democrats including Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D–Mass.) wrote a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken last month pushing back against Israel’s inclusion in the waiver program. The Democrats argued Israel was not in compliance with program regulations and accused the longtime U.S. ally of establishing a “two-tiered system that discriminates between different groups of U.S. citizens”—a reference to Palestinian-Americans who won’t be able to apply for Israeli-produced travel permits until May 2024.
Further Reading
Protesters Of Israel-Hamas War Enter Congressional Building — Leading To More Than 300 Arrests (Forbes)
State Department Warns Americans Traveling Abroad About Potential Violence (Forbes)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/antoniopequenoiv/2023/10/19/us-letting-israelis-immediately-apply-for-visa-free-travel-through-waiver-program/