A senior official in the U.S. embassy in Yerushalayim says that if the Knesset fails to pass legislation necessary for Israel to comply with the Visa Waiver Program (VWP), Israelis may have to wait another year or 18 months, before another opportunity for exemptions from the need to apply for tourist visas, becomes available, Ynet reports. The source emphasized that the procedure’s progress should not be put off until after the elections.
The heightened American pressure comes amid a political disputes surrounding the legislation.
The opposition, led by Bibi Netanyahu, is refusing to approve the laws, and insists on waiting until after the elections before allowing legislation to come to a vote. In June, Netanyahu was approached by U.S. Ambassador Tom Nides who requested he remove his objections to the law. Netanyahu reportedly said that he would support legislation only if the coalition would concede to his demands for elections to be held in October and not in November as the outgoing government had decided.
{Matzav.com Israel}
Please explain this important news story so that the layman, who likely will be affected, can comprehend the issue. The story above is not written for us plain people.
If they pass some sort of law (not sure what it is or how it works) Israelis won’t need a visa to enter the USA, much like any US passport holder automatically gets a 90 day (or 3 month?) visa upon entering Israel.