Israel’s Foreign Minister, Eli Cohen, says the United States is set to allow Israeli citizens to travel without a visa, despite concerns from U.S. human rights groups about Israel’s treatment of Arab Americans.
In a recent social media post, Cohen called Israel’s expected inclusion in the U.S. Visa Waiver Program (VWP) “promising news” for the country. He also confirmed Israel’s commitment to joining the program by November.
While the U.S. government has not yet officially announced Israel’s participation in the VWP, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said on Monday that a decision would be made in the coming days.
A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) also told Al Jazeera in an email on Monday that there was no public announcement to make at this time, but that the DHS and the State Department would reach a final decision in the days ahead.
The potential inclusion of Israel in the VWP has been criticized by advocates for the civil rights of Arab Americans in the United States.
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