Secretary of State Tony Blinken signed a letter in recent days recommending that Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas allow Israel to join the US visa waiver programme, according to two sources briefed on the matter.
Why it matters: While Blinken’s letter is largely a technical procedure, it is necessary for Mayorkas to make a final decision on whether Israel can join the programme, which allows a country’s citizens to travel to the US for 90 days without first obtaining a visa. The deadline for the decision is 30 September.
The US and Israel signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in mid-July setting out the conditions for Israel’s entry into the programme.
Israel has wanted to join the programme for years, but the US has expressed concerns about the restrictions Palestinian-Americans from the occupied West Bank face when entering Israel.
Since the signing of the MOU, Israel has been running a pilot programme during which the State Department and the Department of Homeland Security have been reviewing and scrutinising the implementation of the new regulations on Palestinian and Arab Americans by the Israeli authorities.
Behind the scenes: In his letter, Blinken made clear that Israel had met the criteria for entry into the visa waiver programme, the two sources said.
Israeli officials told Axios that the US unofficially told them on the sidelines of President Biden’s meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last week that the administration would announce Israel’s entry into the programme within days.
What they’re saying: A State Department spokesman said no final decision has been made on Israel’s application for the visa waiver programme.
“The Secretary of Homeland Security, in consultation with the Secretary of State, will make a decision in the coming days,” the spokesperson added.
What’s next: Israeli and US officials say they expect Mayorkas to announce the US decision on Thursday.
What to watch: If the Biden administration does include Israel in the programme, it’s likely to face some pushback from Palestinians and some Democrats.
In a letter to Blinken earlier this month, a group of Senate Democrats urged him not to rush the decision.
