One of the reasons given:
We are also very concerned that the Government of Israel insisted that the MOU explicitly indicate that equal treatment requirements would not extend beyond the strict confines of the visa waiver process. Specifically, the MOU includes a provision that “Nothing in this Memorandum is intended to apply to principles and commitments not otherwise addressed in this Memorandum, to include… regulations applicable to use of Israeli vehicles and vehicle transit. ” While we understand that ground transportation is not directly a part of the Visa Waiver Program, the inclusion of that provision indicates that the Government of Israel reserves the right to provide unequal treatment to certain groups of U.S. citizens once they enter the country. Indeed, we have already received reports that U.S. citizens with Palestinian ID cards who land at Ben Gurion Airport cannot then rent cars to travel within Israel. We have also received reports of U.S. citizens with Palestinian ID cards being stopped at checkpoints, as Palestinians are not permitted to drive across certain checkpoints within Israel.OK, let's picture the scene.
A Palestinian American wants to visit her relatives in Nablus or Jenin. She rents a car at ben Gurion, gets through all checkpoints with no issues because she is an American, and then drives her car into Jenin.
There is a greater than 50% chance the car will be pelted with rocks. There is a very good chance that she will be shot at or lynched.
These US senators are demanding that these Americans be given the chance to be treated the same as American Jews would be in Israel and the territories. But most of them would be visiting their Palestinian relatives across the Green Line and across the security barrier. To put it mildly, this is very dangerous when driving a car with Israeli plates.
Not to mention that no Israeli rental car company would be willing to risk the damage to their vehicles, and no insurance companies would cover this risk.
The senators, in their anti-Israel zeal, don't even consider the consequences of their demands - to put Americans at risk in the name of "equality."
As mentioned, 15 senators signed the letter. Out of the 15 who are clearly anti-Israel, 13 of them are endorsed by J-Street PAC.
So not only is J-Street supporting senators who are anti-Israel, they are supporting senators who want to risk the lives of Palestinian Americans.
(Amusingly, these anti-Israel politicians have something in common with the "right wing Israeli settlers" they loathe. They both consider the territories to be "within Israel." )
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