The State Department issued the following statement on the new Palestinian Authority-only travel visas:
We are aware that the Government of Israel has recently begun employing restrictive measures for people entering the West Bank via Allenby Bridge, such as the use of a Palestinian Authority only stamp.
We have included information on this new policy in the Travel Warning for Israel, the West Bank and Gaza, which was updated on August 14.
We have engaged the Government of Israel on this topic and have requested clarification on this policy so we can properly inform the traveling public.
We have repeatedly told the Government of Israel that the United States expects that all American citizens to be treated equally, regardless of their national origin or other citizenship.
We have let the Government of Israel know that these restrictions unfairly impact Palestinian and Arab American travelers and are not acceptable.
