US Ambassador Dismisses Reports of Visa-Free Travel Threat to Israelis
Translated & summarized from Mignews by baba
U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee called reports of a threat to Israel's visa-free travel status "fake news." The rumors stemmed from concerns over security lapses involving a suspected hijacker on a Flydubai flight to Tel Aviv. Huckabee confirmed that visa-free travel conditions for Israelis remain unchanged and the program is stable.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee denied reports that Israel's visa-free travel status is threatened.
- The rumors were sparked by a security incident involving a suspected hijacker on a Flydubai flight.
- Channel 12 reported an alleged U.S. delegation visit to check security standards.
- Huckabee stated that visa-free travel conditions for Israelis remain unchanged.
- Official Washington confirmed Israel's stable position in the visa waiver program.
U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee has strongly refuted claims that security breaches could jeopardize Israel's participation in the U.S. visa waiver program. Citing reports from Channel 14, Huckabee labeled media publications suggesting such a threat as "fake news." He affirmed that the conditions for visa-free travel for Israelis remain unchanged.
The rumors originated from reports by Channel 12, which alleged that an American delegation intended to visit Israel to assess security standards for the Visa Waiver Program (VWP). These concerns were reportedly triggered by security lapses during the screening of a Flydubai flight to Tel Aviv, which allowed an Omani co-pilot, suspected of planning an aircraft hijacking, to be part of the crew. This incident sparked inter-agency discussions regarding the vetting of flight and passenger manifests for flights entering Israeli airspace.
Despite these discussions, official Washington has confirmed that Israel's status within the visa waiver program is stable and that the program continues to operate normally without any restrictions. The U.S. Embassy in Israel shared a photo of Ambassador Huckabee on X, formerly Twitter, on October 7, 2026.
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