US to test Palestinian-American freedom of travel in Israel in July

The US will test Palestinian-Americans' freedom of travel in Israel in July, amid preparations to admit Israel into the US Visa Waiver Program (VWP), Reuters reported, citing unnamed officials familiar with the matter.

Israel has met some conditions for admittance to the VWP, however it still restricts access to Americans of Palestinian descent. The US requires Israel to demonstrate reciprocal access for all Americans at its borders and to the Occupied West Bank.

On Sunday, Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen told Ynet TV that a "pilot programme" would be launched in July to help keep Israel's VWP candidacy on track.

An unnamed official told Reuters that the trial period will last between 30 to 45 days, during which US officials will monitor Palestinian-American travel through Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion Airport and at West Bank checkpoints.

US-based Palestinian-Americans and those living in the West Bank will be included in the trial.

Israel has been accused of denying entry and interrogating Palestinians - including Palestinian-Americans - at Ben Gurion Airport.

According to the Arab American Institute Foundation, there are between 122,500 and 220,000 Americans of Palestinian descent.

Palestinian-American Osama Abdel Aziz travels to the West Bank via Jordan, however he hopes to be able to take a more direct route in the future. 

"On my most recent visit, they didn't give me a lot of trouble but once they kept me waiting on the border for 15 hours," Abdel Aziz told The New Arab.

"It would be a lot easier to travel through the airport instead of going to Amman, then the Allenby bridge."