The European Union, Canada, and Australia have urged Israel in recent weeks to allow free entry for dual Palestinian citizens, similarly to Palestinian Americans, Israel Hayom has learned.
Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram
The request comes following the launch of the US Visa Waiver pilot program in July that allows unrestricted entry into Israel for Palestinians from the West Bank and Gaza who also hold American citizenship.
Video: Israel's UN Ambassador Gilad Erdan speaks about the Visa Waiver Program
The Foreign Ministry replied that such an option was "out of the question" due to security reasons, nothing that even Palestinian Americans, restrictions on whom have been removed, continue to be subject to security checks, a precondition of the Shin Bet security agency to the pilot program.
Israel loosened access through its borders in the summer as a condition for its accession to the US Visa Waiver Program. Jerusalem has pushed for years to secure visa-free entry for its citizens to the US, a privilege enjoyed by 40 countries, mostly in Europe and Asia.
According to Gil Bringer, Israel's VWP project manager, in the first two weeks of the pilot, around 2,500 Palestinian Americans traveled through Israel's borders and a similar number crossed in or out of the West Bank.
Washington said it will make a final decision about whether or not to admit Israel to the VWP before Sept. 30. If admitted, Israelis will be able to travel to the US without a visa for less than 90 days "following a transition period."
Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!
