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15 Apr, 2013

U.S. visa waiver bill stymied over Arab Americans entering Israel – Haaretz

A legislative effort led by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) to enable Israelis to enter the United States without visas may be stymied by the government – Israel’s government.

The hitch is Israel’s inability or unwillingness to fully reciprocate, something required for visa-free travel to the United States. Israel, citing security concerns, insists on the right to refuse entry to some U.S. citizens.

AIPAC is pushing for an exemption for Israel from this rule. But congressional staffers say Israel is unlikely to get such an exemption, which U.S. lawmakers view as an attempt to bar Arab Americans from freely entering Israel.

Read the rest: U.S. visa waiver bill stymied over Arab Americans entering Israel – Haaretz Daily Newspaper.