As part of preparations for Israelis to be eligible to enter the United States without visas, authorities in Israel intend to ease the travel process for Palestinian Americans from the blockaded Gaza Strip beginning next month, according to an Israeli official. In order to join the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) as of July 20 (Divine Associates Ltd)
“Israel’s government recently made it easier for Palestinian Americans to travel through its borders and into and out of the occupied West Bank”.
There are between 100 and 130 Palestinian Americans residing in Gaza, according to Gil Bringer, project manager for Israel’s VWP. He emphasized that as a participant in the pilot, they are qualified to take a designated shuttle bus to the West Bank, cross Jordan, and then continue on to other foreign nations for family visits.
Those who satisfy Israel’s security requirements will be permitted to enter the country on “B2” tourist visas and depart from Ben Gurion Airport by September 15, according to Bringer.
Bringer clarified that the target date had originally been September 22 and if we can bring it forward further, we will.That will essentially mean they’re included in the pilot. Nearly 2,500 Palestinian Americans crossed into or out of Israel in
the first two weeks of the pilot, according to Bringer, and a comparable number did the same in the West Bank.
According to him, Israel is allowing Palestinian Americans from other nations who have first-degree relatives in Gaza to travel there once a year for up to 90 days.
However, the US Embassy in Jerusalem has refuted these remarks regarding the pilot and directed inquiries to Israeli officials.
In addition, Bringer stated in separate remarks that Israel would meet VWP requirements by September 30, allowing its citizens to enter the US starting in November without first requiring a visa.
Bringer noted that the project is moving
quickly and that a seven-week completion window is anticipated.
Israeli authorities had previously declared that all Americans, including those in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, would be permitted entry.
The decision was made after the Israeli government spent more than 40 years trying to get its citizens visa-free access to the US, while the US government pushed for equal treatment for all US citizens.
