Israel to allow Palestinian-Americans entry in bid to qualify for U.S. visa waiver program

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel has announced that it would be allowing all American citizens, including dual-nationality Palestinians from the West Bank and Gaza Strip, to enter the country through its international airport as part of an agreement to qualify for a visa waiver program with the U.S. Israeli national security advisor Tzachi Hanegbi said Wednesday that the regulation would take effect July 20 and “brings us closer to full qualification for the terms of the U.S. government to the visa waiver program.” The U.S. State Department said the U.S. “will monitor not just their implementation of these policies, but their compliance with these policies and compliance with other other facets of the Visa Waiver Program” and decide on Sept. 30 whether to admit Israel.