The US-Israel Visa Waiver Program Agreement: Assessing the Terms and Implications

This webinar, convened by Arab Center Washington DC and moderated by Yousef Munayyer, analyzed the 2023 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the United States and Israel. The discussion focused on whether this agreement truly meets the "reciprocity" requirements for Israel’s entry into the US Visa Waiver Program (VWP).

The panelists, Zaha Hassan, Adam Shapiro, Jessica Montell, and Maya Berry, expressed significant concern that the MoU creates a "two-tiered" system of citizenship, where the rights of Palestinian Americans are compromised to facilitate Israel’s entry into the program. They provided the legal framework and questioned the timeline, lack of clear definitions, lack of clarity, data privacy concerns, and discriminatory practices.