Obama Administration officials, angry that Israel is refusing their demands in the ongoing peace talks to give land to the Palestinians, are making things harder for ordinary Israelis to enter the country.
In addition, the administration is blocking Israel from a special program that allows citizens to enter the country without a preapproved visa.
Countries on the list include the UK, Sweden, France, Germany, Japan and Taiwan. This means travelers from those countries with valid passports who meet the requirements of an electronic passport can enter the U.S. for 90 days without a visa. Israel has been attempting to be part of the 37 countries in the program.
When asked about their rejection, Obama officials refer to the country’s “treatment of Arab-American travelers.”
Rejections of visas to Israeli citizens have jumped a shocking 80 percent in the last year. The increase is so significant that political leaders such as Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer of New York has called on the State Department to end “its widespread, arbitrary practice of denying young Israelis tourist visas.”
Israel, who until the recent administration was considered one of America’s closest allies, has been wondering why countries like Iceland and Latvia qualify for the special visa program while they are repeatedly rejected.
