Netanyahu assesses: "Visa exemption to the US will lead to a massive wave of immigration" | Israel Hayom

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu estimates that Israel's entry into the US visa waiver program will result in a mass immigration of Jews to Israel.

This is in contrast to the widespread fear that the visa waiver will encourage Israelis to come to America. Netanyahu said this during the cabinet meeting today (Sunday), during which Interior Minister Aryeh Deri Inform the government about the status of the moves to obtain the visa exemption.

Netanyahu explained that Israel's "(economy) is getting stronger. We will surpass the US in our growth.

We have already passed through Europe.

We will bring about an influx from the West to Israel in order to improve (economic) conditions.

It is true that there is also the rising anti-Semitism, but this will not be the only reason for immigrating to Israel.

There will be a large influx into Israel."

He compared the expected visa exemption to the removal of restrictions on foreign currency trade, which he decided upon at the beginning of his first term in 1996.

"Take the currency reform for example. It was not possible to take money out of the country, nothing. We were told 'everything will flow out' - and exactly the opposite happened, money came in."

According to him, "We will not protect Zionism by fencing it off, by imprisoning citizens."

The Minister of Strategic Affairs, Ron Dermer, pointed out that the opportunity that exists now to obtain the exemption may not return in the near future.

"We have a chance of a few months, and it's possible that after that we won't be able to do it. The (American) ambassador here is determined to help us," Dermer said.

The two spoke in anticipation of the expected announcement by the consular department in the American government in the coming days, about the refusal rate of visa applications submitted by Israelis during the "year of inspection", between September 2021 and September 2022. The estimate in the American government is that the refusal rate will be below 3%.

This means that Israel can advance a step in the visa exemption program.

However, in order to receive the full exemption, the government is required to promote several moves, among them the approval of several laws that Deri presented today in the government.

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