The Biden administration is prepared this week to enter Israel into a special club, allowing Israelis to travel to the United States without a visa, despite concerns about the Israeli government's treatment of Palestinian Americans.
According to non-governmental organizations, U.S. officials had indicated that the announcement of entry into Israel's visa waiver program could come at the end of the week, just before the conclusion of the fiscal year, and it would go into effect next year.
The Department of Homeland Security administers this program, which currently allows citizens from nearly 40 European and Asian countries to travel to the U.S. for up to 3 months without a visa. After Secretary of State Antony Blinken's recommendation for entry into Israel was received, five officials familiar with the matter spoke on the condition of anonymity Sunday.
He said that Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas is expected to make the announcement on Thursday, but a final decision has not been made yet.