The United States has decided to include Israel in the visa waiver program, US officials have announced, in a decision that has been expected for years by Israel but is drawing backlash from congressional Democrats and pro-Palestinian groups.

The decision follows the visa waiver reciprocity agreement reached in July between the United States and Israel following a “successful” months-long trial period, the unnamed US officials said.

The official announcement is expected to be made today.

The July 19 agreement provides that Israel commits that all US citizens traveling with a US passport will be recognized as such and will receive equal treatment regardless of race, religion or origin.

Likewise, Israelis wishing to travel to the US can do so without a visa starting November 30.

This is a decision taken after years of efforts to ensure that Israel accepts the strict obligations of this program, which include for the first time the entry into Israel of all American citizens, a US official explained, explaining that the clause will benefit everyone the American Palestinians residing in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

“To be clear, this decision to include Israel was not made to do Israel a favor, but because it will benefit both Israel and the United States,” another official said.

The announcement comes days after US President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met during the UN General Assembly in New York, following months of tension between the two leaders over what Washington called a judicial reform in Israel. anti-democratic and the continuation of the settlement of the Palestinian territories.

In the United States, citizens of 40 countries will be able to enter the US without a visa for short trips for pleasure or business.

Israel has been negotiating its entry into this program for many years.

However, the treatment of American Palestinians was the main obstacle.

Until today, Palestinians holding US citizenship could not enter Israel without a visa when transiting through Ben Gurion International Airport and had to pass through neighboring Jordan.

During the trial period “about 100,000 US citizens, including tens of thousands of American Palestinians” were able to enter Israel without a visa and continue into the West Bank, according to US officials.

Ahead of the announcement, the Commission Against Discrimination Against Arab Americans announced yesterday that it has filed a lawsuit against the US government based on Israel’s policy of discrimination against Palestinians.

According to the lawsuit, by entering Israel into the visa waiver program, the United States “expressly supports Israeli discriminatory practices against Palestinians, including American citizens, in violation of their own laws,” the Commission’s statement said. .

Congressional Democrats recently wrote to Joe Biden asking him to delay the decision because Israel has not provided sufficient guarantees.

American Palestinians have denounced, with their statements to the French Agency (AFP), the continuation of unequal treatment against them by the Israeli authorities.