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Ben-Gvir cancels US trip citing 'difficulties' in obtaining travel visa - report

From Jerusalem Post · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Ongoing story
  • National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has canceled a planned trip to the United States due to difficulties obtaining a visa.
  • Reports indicate the visa issues stemmed from fingerprinting requirements, which Ben-Gvir's office claims he sought to avoid by applying for a regular tourist visa.
  • The minister's office stated the trip's purpose was personal, not diplomatic, to avoid exploiting his status.

Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has canceled an upcoming trip to the United States following reported difficulties in securing a visa. Channel 12 first reported the cancellation on Monday, citing issues related to the visa application process.

According to Channel 13's Suleiman Maswadeh, the complications arose from the requirement for fingerprint submission. Maswadeh noted that as a minister traveling for diplomatic reasons, Ben-Gvir should have been eligible for a diplomatic visa, which typically exempts applicants from fingerprinting.

However, Ben-Gvir's office released a statement on Monday, as reported by Channel 13, asserting that the trip's objective was personal. The statement claimed the minister did not wish to "exploit his status" and therefore opted to apply for a standard tourist visa, leading to the reported difficulties. The situation remains a developing story.

The minister did not want to "exploit his status," and therefore decided to travel on a regular tourist visa.

— Itamar Ben-Gvir's officeStatement explaining the reason for the minister's visa difficulties and trip cancellation.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Jerusalem Post. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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