American passport holders with Palestinian documents and families in Gaza are urging Washington to ensure their equal treatment under a reciprocal agreement with Israel aimed at securing visa-free travel for American and Israeli citizens. Israel has indicated that it has eased entry procedures through its main airport and at the borders of the occupied West Bank for Americans of Palestinian descent, allowing more than 2,000 people to enter or transit through Israel.
U.S. State Department officials stated that the visa waiver program should apply to all American citizens, including those in Gaza. In contrast, several Americans of Palestinian origin holding identification from Gaza reported that they have been denied entry into Israel. The strict restrictions imposed by Israel on Palestinians make its eligibility to join the visa waiver program a test for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government, which must demonstrate that it treats all American passport holders equally, regardless of any other nationality they may hold.
For its part, the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories unit noted that only American citizens holding Palestinian identity cards registered in the "Judea and Samaria" area, i.e., the West Bank, may be able to enter through any of the international border crossings. The unit added that this does not apply to the Erez crossing with Gaza.
