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20 Aug, 2015

Arab-American group seeks data to monitor discrimination by Israeli border authorities

Washington, DC | www.adc.org | August 17, 2015 – Over the course of the past few months, the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) has observed an increase in the number of U.S. Citizens of Arab descent who have been arbitrarily detained, interrogated, and denied entry to Palestine through Israeli controlled borders.

Take Action: If you or someone you know has been denied entry through Israeli controlled borders, please participate in and promote the following intake form to help the ADC identify and address this invidious discrimination: 

Click here to complete the intake form: U.S. Citizens denied entry by Israeli authorities

The denials are taking place at various ports of entry including airports and land crossings. ADC has also received reports that Israeli authorities are confiscating the passports of U.S. citizens, and not returning their passports until they are back in the U.S or another destination. The State Department has indicated that it does not keep statistics of those who have been denied entry, and has asked ADC to obtain the information so that the Bureau of Consular Affairs can address the issue.

The discriminatory treatment of U.S. citizens by Israeli authorities also clearly demonstrates why Israel should not be added into the U.S. visa wavier program, as it does not extend reciprocal privileges to citizens and nationals of the United States as required by the visa waiver program. Israel should be held accountable for discriminating against U.S. citizens of any ethnicity, including Arab-Americans.