Arab-American Institute: Israel does not meet statutory requirements laid out for every other country that has joined Visa Waiver Program

The Arab-American Institute said Israel does not meet the statutory requirements laid out for every other country that has joined the Visa Waiver Program (VWP)because of its well-documented discriminatory treatment of Arab Americans, particularly Palestinian Americans, and Americans advocating for Palestinian human rights. “In order to join the VWP, a country must guarantee that any American visiting will be treated without discrimination by the country’s authorities. There is overwhelming evidence that Israel fails to meet this standard of reciprocity, with clear and documented cases of Arab Americans routinely facing hours of harsh interrogation, searches of electronic devices, and in some cases, strip searches when traveling through Israeli ports of entry. In other examples, they are simply denied entry,” said the Arab-American Institute in a statement. The statement appealed to sign on to Congressman Jonathan Jackson’s letter, which raises concerns about Israel’s eligibility for the Visa Waiver Program.

Source: En – Palestine news & Information Agency – WAFA