In new row, Israel at odds with US over visas

[flowers]

http://www.myfoxny.com/story/25100402/in-new-row-israel-at-odds-with-us-over-visas

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) - With the United States irked at Israel over its settlement policies and the lack of progress in peace talks, an obscure diplomatic classification has emerged as a new sticking point between the two close allies.

To ease the travel of its citizens, Israel is pressing to join 38 other countries in the U.S. Visa Waiver Program - a prestigious club of nations whose citizens don't need a preapproved visa to visit America. So far, their efforts have not only been rebuffed, but Israel has seen a spike in the number of young people and military officers rejected entry to the U.S.

Washington says Israel has not been let into the program simply because it has not met the requirements - and has pointed in part to Israel's treatment of Arab-American travelers, drawing sharp denials by Israeli officials of any discrimination. U.S. officials say there is no policy in place to make it more difficult for Israelis to get "B'' visas, which allow a 90-day stay in the United States for business or travel purposes.

Figures show that the percentage of Israelis whose visa requests are rejected is lower than that of many other countries, and other countries' rejection rates have grown as well amid an overall stricter approach taken by American Homeland Security officials. For example, in 2013 Belarus had a rejected rate of 20.7 percent, Bulgaria's was 19.9 percent and Ireland's was 16.9 percent.

Even so, Israel saw its visa rejection rate jumped to 9.7 percent last year, up from 5.4 percent the year before - a startling 80 percent increase.

Sen. Charles Schumer, a New York Democrat, has called on the State Department to "end its widespread, arbitrary practice of denying young Israelis tourist visas." Other pro-Israel members of Congress have also pressed for answers. Israel's Deputy Foreign Minister Zeev Elkin said some Congress members are pushing for legislation that would exempt Israel from the requirements to qualify for the waiver program altogether.

State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki responded this week by saying that Israelis are still overwhelmingly granted entry.

"Over 90 percent of Israeli applicants for tourist visas to the United States are approved. For young Israelis, over 80 percent of visa applicants are approved for a visa," she said at a briefing.

[Right_in_Virginia]

I wonder who the 38 countries are whose citizens don't need visas.   

[240B]

you have to love Jews because they are so pathetic./
 
how many Jews voted for a guy named, Brarack {bessed} in Aribic, (which any Israeli certainly knows), then there is {Hussein} which means in various Aribic dilacts 'King' or 'ruler', and then u have the American Jews, who we depend upon for support, who are so pathetic that they bow down to their masters. Dance for me Jew! I will give you a million dollars and spare your life, if you will dance.]]
 
chava nagila, chavanagila,chavanaglil ve nis' mecha
chava nagila, chavanagilia, chavanagilia, ve nis' mecha
 
and they sang and they danced.
Chava' ne ranena
Chava' ne ranena
Chaa'va ne renena
Ve' Nis' mecha.....
 
And Jews, even Jews, support Hussein. Oh, well. Hey, what can ya do?