Tuesday was supposed to be the day that the Senate Foreign Relations Committee passed the U.S.-Israel Strategic Partnership Act, a bill that would bolster the two countries’ alliance and provide a path for Israel to enter into the visa-waiver program. But it didn’t happen.
A Republican attempt to hamstring a potential U.S. diplomatic deal with Iran on its nuclear energy program unexpectedly scuttled the vote for now, though the legislation is still likely to pass in the coming weeks. The lead Senate author of the legislation, Barbara Boxer (D-CA), told Al-Monitor‘s Julian Pecquet she would try to take the bill to a full Senate vote in order to avoid a divisive vote on Iran.
As Foreign Policy‘s John Hudson first reported, Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ), a leading pro-Israel lawmaker who is the head of the foreign relations committee, pulled the bill from consideration on Monday. The surprising move came in response to an Iran-related amendment Senator Bob Corker (R-TN) sought to attach to the U.S.-Israel Strategic Partnership Act. Corker’s addition to the legislation would have required President Obama to submit a final deal with Iran to a Congressional vote and would allow for hearings on the diplomacy, though it would not have allowed Congress to block the deal if the U.S. agreed to one with Iran.
The American-Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), which works closely with Menendez, said they supported the Corker amendment. But the White House did not, and Menendez wanted to avoid putting fellow Democrats in the position of having to choose between the president and AIPAC.
So Menendez blocked it from coming up for a vote. Writing in LobeLog, Mitchell Plitnick says that the amendment brought to the fore tensions between supporting Democrats and supporting AIPAC and the GOP. Plitnick writes that the move is a miscalculation that “marks another step in the increasing polarization of Israel as a domestic U.S. political issue.”
The legislation has been an AIPAC priority since 2013, and the House of Representatives easily passed the bill in March. The Senate version has been highly controversial, though, because of a provision that would allow Israel entry into the visa-waiver program alongside a big caveat favorable to the country: a security exception that would have received U.S. blessing.
The original Senate bill, authored by Barbara Boxer (D-CA), would give Israelis the right to enter the U.S. without possessing a visa. But Boxer’s original version says that while Israel would be required to allow U.S. travelers the same visa-free privilege, the state could bar those who Israel deems a security threat. Israel’s denials of entry to Palestinian- and Arab-Americans, alongside pro-Palestine activists, are routinely justified by invoking security threats.
Because of opposition from the State Department and activists, Boxer will reportedly drop the security waiver from the bill. As Allison Deger reported here, Israeli officials have said that they will reduce discrimination against Palestinian-American travelers in order to enter into the visa program. But another explosive element has been added into the mix: opposition from the U.S. intelligence community, who say that visa-free travel for Israelis could increase espionage here.
Meanwhile, those opposed to Israel’s entry into the visa-waiver program while it continues to discriminate against travelers continue to ramp up their efforts. This afternoon, the U.S. Campaign to End the Occupation is hosting a panel on Capitol Hill highlighting Israeli border policies that discriminate against Muslim- and Arab-Americans.
Menendez is my senator, and a real disappointment. He seems to be in bed with AIPAC and being used as a puppet, to dance to their tune, and orders. I wrote to him many times asking why he is going against his own President, regarding the Iran matter, and why he seems to be doing the bidding of an alien nation, over our interests, but I never got a clear answer. It seems Israel has bought the loyalty of Menendez and Corker, like many others including Barbara Boxer.
Today, various organizations like US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation, and others, will be giving a briefing on Captitol Hill against Israel’s entry into the U.S. Visa Waiver Program, and we can only hope the brainwashed congresspeople, can listen with open minds. We do not need this parasitic, alien nation, given open visas, so that they can continue their spying, and other crimes, congress was warned about:
“Intelligence officials to Congress: Israel ‘crossed red lines’ in spying on U.S.
Newsweek quotes confidential briefings to Congress and says Israel’s massive spying is behind the failure to provide visa waiver to Israelis entering U.S.” Haaretz headlines.
It would be ridiculous after all these warnings, if congress still persisted in giving this nation special privileges.
Israelis deserve to travel to the US without a visa.
Call your Reps and let them know you do not support a yes vote for Israel to enter the Visa Program in any way shape or form. That this program could potentially undermine U.S. national security even more.
I’ve always wondered why the INS does not raid all those kiosks in malls where the Israelis work and simply ask to check their visas? I mean with all this “homeland” security and stuff. (“Homeland” being a Zionist term proposed by Chertoff for the Agency)
The attitude of many is that it is ok to cheat the system, especially Americans should be cheated because they are so gullible.
It’s not just the entry of spies that threatens our security. The bill calls for increased cooperation in Homeland Security and cybersecurity. The U.S. government has already given Israel raw NSA data on our phone calls. Under the Strategic Partnership Act, this kind of activity will be be perfectly legal, even harder to end.