Pro-Palestinian groups call to suspend Israel's Visa Waiver membership

Pro-Palestinian American groups, including Democracy for the Arab World Now (DAWN) and the American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC), have urged the Department of Homeland Security and the State Department to suspend Israel's participation in the Visa Waiver Program (VWP). 

They claim that the program discriminates against American citizens of Palestinian descent. Alongside this call, lawsuits have been filed in Michigan, seeking an injunction to halt Israel's inclusion in the VWP.

Adam Shapiro, a representative from DAWN, has stated that the United States should pause Israel's membership until a judicial examination is conducted into allegations of arbitrary government practices. 

According to Shapiro, these practices would endorse "Israeli apartheid within an American program." He emphasized that "the administration should not permit Israel to discriminate against American citizens based on their heritage."

The litigation, which is based on the Administrative Procedure Act, argues that actions were taken to arbitrarily alter the VWP's reciprocity rules for U.S. citizens. 

The plaintiffs assert that a recent memorandum of understanding allows Israel to treat Americans differently based on their ethnicity and highlights restrictions regarding access to the Gaza Strip. Shapiro noted that among the 40 countries participating in the VWP, only Israel requested and received such an exception.

Since the signing of this agreement, Israel has faced scrutiny regarding the implementation of new guidelines concerning Palestinian Americans. However, some Democrats have attempted to hinder Israel's inclusion in the VWP. 

Recently, 15 Democratic senators called on the Biden administration to deny Israel's admission, citing concerns about the commitment to fairness for U.S. citizens of Palestinian heritage.