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Firas Al-Tirawi, a Palestinian-American writer, has detailed an experience at Ben Gurion Airport that he says highlights unequal treatment under the US-Israel visa waiver program. After a visit to Palestine, he faced extensive security questioning while holding a US passport. His luggage did not make it onto his flight to Chicago, arriving later. Al-Tirawi asks whether his Palestinian origins led to a different standard, challenging the principle of reciprocity. 'Is the passport read first, or the identity of its holder?' he writes. The account comes amid ongoing scrutiny of the visa waiver program, which was extended to Israel in 2023 with the condition of equal treatment for all US citizens. Article and image source: pnn.ps
Firas Al-Tirawi, a Palestinian-American writer, has detailed an experience at Ben Gurion Airport that he says highlights unequal treatment under the US-Israel visa waiver program. After a visit to Palestine, he faced extensive security questioning while holding a US passport. His luggage did not make it onto his flight to Chicago, arriving later. Al-Tirawi asks whether his Palestinian origins led to a different standard, challenging the principle of reciprocity. ‘Is the passport read first, or the identity of its holder?’ he writes. The account comes amid ongoing scrutiny of the visa waiver program, which was extended to Israel in 2023 with the condition of equal treatment for all US citizens.
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