Gaza: Palestinian-Americans Hope to Enter Israel by September 15
Several Palestinian-Americans from Gaza were turned back by Israel and were told they couldn't enter Israel as part of the Visa Waiver Program.
People attend a ceremony to raise a Palestinian flag in honor of the contribution of Palestinian-Americans in the area of North Bergen in the state of New Jersey, the US. Photo by Anadolu Images.
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alestinians with American citizenship will be able to enter the West Bank and later the Gaza Strip via Ben-Gurion Airport following an agreement between the United States and Israel that began on 20 July 2023, including a seven-week trial period.
The Israeli newspaper Yediot Aharonot noted that Israel and the United States have agreed to begin preparations for a crucial stage on the road to visa-free travel to the United States, which will allow Palestinians with American citizenship to enter the West Bank – and some to enter Gaza – via Ben-Gurion Airport.
U.S. President Joe Biden has been pushing to admit Israel into the US Visa Waiver Program (VWP), which would allow Israeli citizens to travel visa-free to the United States.
The American condition for Israel’s inclusion in the Visa Waiver Program is that American citizens, regardless of origin, be allowed to enter Israel freely through Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport without being discriminated against at security checkpoints.
The United States has already made it clear that without this condition, Israel will not be included in the waiver program which is due to take effect in October or November.
Palestinian-Americans from Gaza turned back
After the US-Israel test period, several Palestinian-Americans from Gaza were turned back by Israel and told they couldn’t enter Israel. These Israeli procedures caused a wave of frustration among Palestinian Americans from Gaza who felt discriminated against.
Several Palestinian Americans reported their experiences of being turned back at Tel Aviv airport and at Allenby Bridge, which connects the West Bank to Jordan and is controlled by Israel, to the U.S Embassy. Palestinian-Americans were marked as Palestinians in Israeli permit systems upon entering, which prompted the U.S. government to put pressure on Israel. Despite being American, Palestinian Americans felt being labeled by Israel due to their national identity.
Israel has responded by saying it will implement new procedures by 15 September that will allow Palestinians from Gaza who hold American citizenship to enter Israel, but it is still unclear under what conditions Palestinian-Americans from Gaza will be able to travel.
With Israel plagued by protests against Netanyahu’s judicial reforms, many observers see the American decision to include Israel in the visa waiver program a gift to the Netanyahu government. Whether or not Israel is included in the program depends on its treatment of Americans equally, regardless of their background.
There are thousands of Palestinian Americans from the Gaza Strip who hope that the new rules will allow them to travel directly in and out of Gaza, rather than having to travel through Jordan and the West Bank, or Israel or Egypt, which requires permits and causes delays.
The Visa Waiver Program
The Visa Waiver Program allows citizens of 40 countries to travel to the United States for 90 days for tourism or business without a visa. In return, citizens of the United States should be allowed to travel to these countries for tourism or business without a visa.
Israel has been demanding inclusion in the visa waiver program for years, but its treatment of American citizens of Arab and Palestinian origin has remained a stumbling block. It appears that Israel has agreed to meet the US conditions in return for allowing its citizens to travel to the US without visas, which will boost the popularity of the current Israeli government.
It is difficult to estimate the number of Palestinians living in the US because many of them were stateless when they arrived in the US or had different passports and travel documents. But it is estimated that there are 250,000 Palestinian Americans, with some estimates suggesting they could reach 500,000. The new agreement will allow them to travel freely to Israel, the West Bank and, hopefully, Gaza.
For this to happen, a group of NGOs, such as American Muslims for Palestine, started calls and petitions to make sure all Palestinian Americans are allowed to visit Israel, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip without restrictions.
