U.S. Ambassador to Israel Says Visa Waiver Will Be in Place by 2023

U.S. Ambassador to Israel Tom Nides has told Yisrael Hayom that Israel will be brought into the visa waiver program by 2023.

Nides said he is working around the clock to make sure that happens, adding that he is cooperating closely with Interior Minister Ayelet Shaked. According to Nides, a lot of work remains, including Israel passing new laws to bring it into compliance with U.S. requirements.

The U.S., Nides said, was doing its part and hundreds of people had visited Washington as part of the process.

Nides declined to comment on Biden’s scheduled visit until the White House officially confirms it, but said, “President Biden loves Israel, and his visit will show that.”

Turning to Iran, the ambassador said that the Revolutionary Guards Corps would not be dropped from the U.S. list of terrorist entities and said that Biden’s stance on the issue was “uncompromising.”

When asked if the U.S. had a plan to stop Iran’s nuclear weapons program, Nides said there was “no question” that while Washington still hoped to solve the matter through diplomacy, Biden would not “stand by” and watch the Iranians develop nuclear weapons. Nides said the U.S. would work very closely with Israel and its allies, and reiterated Biden’s assertion that “all options are on the table.”

When asked why the U.S. did not issue explicit threats that it would use military force against Iran’s nuclear program, which even former President Barack Obama did, Nides said it was not his place as ambassador to make threats, and repeated that the U.S. would work with Israel and its other regional allies to ensure that Iran did not obtain nuclear weapons.