Wednesday’s announcement that Israel has been formally admitted to the United States Visa Waiver Program represents a new phase in the alliance between the two countries.“Israel’s entry into the Visa Waiver Program represents a critical step forward in our strategic partnership with Israel that will further strengthen long-standing people-to-people engagement, economic cooperation, and security coordination between our two countries,” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said.US Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas said: “This designation, which represents over a decade of work and coordination between the United States and Israel, will enhance our two nations’ collaboration on counterterrorism, law enforcement, and our other common priorities. Israel’s entry into the Visa Waiver Program, and the stringent requirements it entails, will make both of our nations more secure.”Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said: “Today we mark an important and joyful moment for all citizens of Israel. We have worked on this for many years, close to a decade, even more so in the last year when we passed extensive legislation in the Knesset, legislation that enabled the legal basis for this move. Those who want to visit the United States will no longer have to wait months just to get an appointment. This decision is further evidence of the strong ties between Israel and the US.”
Traveling with ease
Israelis will now be able to enter the US for stays of up to 90 days after a speedy procedure that involves submitting a request via the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) three days before departing for the United States. The ESTA approval will produce a two-year visa valid for multiple visits. The new scheme is expected to go into effect by November 30.Success has many parents, but credit must be given where it is due. The administration of US President Joe Biden, along with the governments of Naftali Bennett, Yair Lapid, and Benjamin Netanyahu worked hard to ensure Israel’s admission to the program. Nides and National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi were intimately involved in troubleshooting challenges as they arose, determined as they were to see this process through.There are few bilateral relationships as close as that which exists between the US and Israel, and few are characterized by such deep, profound, and widespread people-to-people connections. Americans and Israelis travel to one another’s countries in massive numbers aboard an unusually large number of nonstop flights between Israel and multiple US cities.While most Americans have long been able to travel to Israel with minimal hassle – needing nothing more than a valid US passport to enter the country – Wednesday’s announcement will make that ease reciprocal, enabling millions of Israelis to visit a country they have always adored but which hasn’t made their visits particularly easy. That truly is historic, and it augurs well for the continued growth and development of the critically important US-Israel relationship.Israel – Mazal tov.America – Thank you, and brace yourself: The Israelis are coming!