Founder of Holy Land Christian Ecumenical Foundation Alleges Visa Waiver Program Violation
Rateb Rabie, founder of the Holy Land Christian Ecumenical Foundation, has accused Israel of violating the Visa Waiver Program it signed with the United States in 2023. Rabie told Arab News that he was leading a delegation of nine US citizens under the non-political, non-profit program 'Know Thy Heritage' when Israel denied them entry on June 28. The program takes Arab Americans to their ancestral countries to understand their cultural backgrounds.
Rabie urged US officials to protest the violation of the VWP, stating: 'What our delegation experienced at the border wasn’t an isolated incident — it reflects a deeper, systemic pattern of discriminatory treatment toward Palestinian Americans. The blanket denial of entry, issued without explanation or due process, violates not only our basic human rights but also the commitments Israel made under the VWP. This program was built on the principle of reciprocity. These actions demonstrate a clear breach of that principle.'
Visa Waiver Program Allows Visa-Free Travel for Up to 90 Days
The VWP allows Israelis to travel to the US and Americans to travel to Israel for up to 90 days without a visa. Rabie called on US officials to force Israel to uphold its obligations, ensuring that all citizens, 'especially Palestinian Americans, are treated with dignity, fairness and equality at every border. Our experience strengthens our resolve to pursue accountability and to advocate for the rights of our community. We’ll continue our mission with determination, transparency, and an unwavering commitment to justice.'
Palestinian Americans are frequently turned away at Israel’s borders despite the VWP, Rabie said. The group had completed meticulous and lengthy pre-screening through the VWP and ETA-IL, the Israeli system used to review anyone entering the country. They had all been pre-screened and approved by Israel under the VWP and ETA-IL. Applications to enter Israel are completed weeks or months in advance of trips, and the rejection of Palestinian visitors upon arrival results in great economic cost to them.
Anti-Discrimination Committee Condemns Retaliatory Border Control Practices
Jenin Younes, president of the American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, said the organization is appalled not only by the refusal to allow the students to enter Israel, but by the violation of the VWP. 'This denial is part of a longstanding, retaliatory practice on the part of the Israeli government to weaponize border control to deny entry to Palestinian Americans and others who seek to protect Palestinians from Israeli terror or to report on Israel’s maltreatment of Palestinians,' Younes told Arab News. 'For far too long, the US has ignored this custom, which entails racial discrimination and is unlawful under the VWP.'
Younes cited other incidents where visitors of Palestinian origin have been turned away after meticulously completing and meeting ETA-IL and VWP requirements. Israel has detained many Palestinian Americans for days after strip searching, interrogating and humiliating them, eventually forcing them to return to the US without explanation.
