Recording - Israel's Visa Waiver Request and Palestinian Americans' Travel Rights

with Maysoon Zayid and Dr. Hanna Hanania

 

The government of Israel is undertaking a renewed effort to be added to the United States’ Visa Waiver Program after being noncompliant for years due to its discriminatory practices against Palestinian Americans (and other Arab-Americans) traveling to Israel or through Israel to the occupied territories. The two governments are currently discussing terms for an agreement to allow Israel into the Visa Waiver Program.

What are the current Israeli restrictions targeting Palestinian Americans? What do Palestinian-Americans experience when traveling to or through Israel? What should the US demand of Israel, as it considers  waiving the visa requirements for Israeli citizens? What is the history of Palestinian-American advocacy in that regard?

To address these and other questions, Dr. Hanna Hanania and Maysoon Zayid joined APN. Both participated in a 2021 meeting of pro-Palestinian US activists with Secretary of State Antony Blinken. 

Watch HERE

SPEAKERS:

Maysoon Zayid is a comedian, actress, writer, and disability advocate. She is the co-founder/co-executive producer of the New York Arab American Comedy Festival and The Muslim Funny Fest. She was a full-time On Air Contributor to Countdown with Keith Olbermann and a columnist for The Daily Beast. Zaid is the author of the best-selling memoir Find Another Dream and is collaborating with Scholastic on a comic book series.

Dr. Hanna Hanania is a family dentist in Virginia and a prolific social justice activist. He founded and headed the Network of Arab American Professionals (NAAP). He is a board member of the Holy Land Christians Ecumenical Foundation (HCEF), and of the New Dominion Political Action Committee (NDPAC).  He is also the immediate past President of the American Federation of Ramallah, Palestine (the largest Palestinian American organization) and still serve on its board and co-chairs the organization’s government affairs committee.