Israel eases restrictions on Palestinian-American travel in bid to join U.S. visa waiver program

Israel will allow Palestinian-Americans to travel freely to Israel for 90 days starting Thursday as part of a trial to join the U.S. Visa Waiver Program.
The trial aims to provide unrestricted access to Israel for U.S. citizens of Palestinian origin who are West Bank residents.
A U.S. delegation will monitor Israel's implementation of equal treatment for Palestinian-Americans at borders over the next six weeks.
If successful, the trial would allow Israeli citizens to travel to the U.S. without a visa starting in October.
The U.S. will decide by September 30 whether to admit Israel into the visa waiver program based on the trial's findings.