America refuses Israeli tourist visas

According to Breitbart News, America is increasingly refusing visas to Israeli tourists. “The State Department confirms there has been a 400% increase in the visa refusal rate for Israeli citizens since 2007, when only 2.5% of all Israeli visa requests were denied, as compared to 2013 when 9.7% were.” From personal experience of friends and family, have found it accurate that indeed many young Israelis have been denied tourist visas.

Quite interestingly in an issue which was largely overlooked by the Jewish media, Senator Chuck Schumer issued a press release which “called on the U.S. Department of State (State) to end its widespread, arbitrary practice of denying young Israelis tourist visas…” Schumer claims “this unofficial policy has been in place for 2-3 years, and has been extended to include not just Israelis who are seeking to travel after completing their compulsory military service, but also to include all Israeli nationals who are of student age.”

Separately, Maariv reported that America has denied visa requests from various Israeli defense officials. Interesting that while Obama claimed no knowledge of using the IRS for political purposes whether time will show that Obama too used visas as a political tool.