Israel, US sign agreement to facilitate visa waiver program

Israeli and American representatives inked an information-sharing deal this morning. Public Security Minister Omer Bar Lev and US Deputy Ambassador to Israel Jonathan Shrier signed the agreement with Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked witnessing. The agreement will enable the two countries check fingerprints from each other's databases up to 1,000 times a year as well as request information on citizens with severe criminal backgrounds.

A preliminary agreement to that effect was signed March 3 by Bar Lev and the US Department of Homeland Security's visiting undersecretary for policy, Robert Silvers.

Granting US authorities access to criminal records is a condition for any country seeking to join the waiver program. Israel has been trying for years to meet the requirements, as the United States is a top tourism and business destination of Israeli citizens. This package of two agreements facilitates Israel joining, but the Knesset still needs to adopt further legislation before the country can join the program.

Israeli efforts got a boost last year, when President Joe Biden met in Washington with then-Prime Minister Naftali Bennett. In the readout of their August 2021 meeting, “President Biden also emphasized that his administration would strengthen bilateral cooperation with Israel in ways that would benefit both US citizens and Israeli citizens, including by working together towards Israel’s inclusion in the Visa Waiver Program. The leaders directed their teams to enhance consultations as Israel works on addressing the program’s requirements.”