Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen and Foreign Ministry Director-General Ronen Levy on Sunday met with a US delegation to try and advance Israel joining the US Visa Waiver Program sometime within 2023.
The US delegation was sent on behalf of the Department for Homeland Security.
"We continue to act for the benefit of Israel's citizens, together with our American friends," Cohen explained.
"After we finish all the necessary legislative procedures, I estimate that Israeli citizens will be able to visit the US without the need for a visa by the end of the year."
"After we finish all the necessary legislative procedures, I estimate that Israeli citizens will be able to visit the US without the need for a visa by the end of the year."
Eli Cohen
The US delegation will meet with all parties in Israel necessary in order to advance this goal.
Israel and the US Visa Waiver Program
The US Visa Waiver Program allows citizens of participating nations to travel to the US for up to 90 days without a visa.
Currently, Israelis wishing to visit America must apply for a visa.
However, American citizens don't need a visa to visit Israel.
In late March 2023, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he expected his country to join the program by September, but the US State Department said Israel had yet to officially meet the requirements.
A big obstacle that Washington has pointed out is that Israel is yet to grant free passage for Palestinian-Americans at its airports and into the West Bank.