Returning MK and Chairman of World Likud, Danny Danon spoke with US Ambassador to Israel, Tom Nides last Friday and discussed the fast-track of visa exemptions to the US for Israeli citizens. This conversation comes on the back of a number of conversations and meetings held on the subject in recent months. Danon made it clear to Nides that the new government is determined to complete the necessary legislation and conclude the visa exemption procedure for Israelis as soon as possible.
The Visa Waiver Program (VWP) currently allows residents from 40 countries to fly to the United States for business or tourism purposes for a period of 90 days without the need for a visa.
So far, two agreements have been signed with the US government that will enable the mutual sharing of information between the Interior Ministry in Israel and US Homeland Security and FBI. (However, in order to regulate mechanisms that will allow monitoring and locating suspicious individuals, the US must be allowed limited access to the Israeli databases, in exchange for similar access to the American databases.)
In a conversation with Ambassador Nides, Danon said that he intends to provide his full assistance in order to speedily complete the required legislation by the first quarter of 2023, thereby bringing about the completion of the process that is important to many Israelis, while strengthening ties between Israel and the US.