The Foreign Service Journal, July-August 2019

THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | JULY-AUGUST 2019 19 Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s failure to form a majority coalition at the end of May and the call for new elections in September has cast doubt over when the administration might release political aspects of the peace plan. Prominent conservative and pro- Israel voices, worried that the proposal could trigger political violence or kill efforts to create a two-state solution, are increasingly urging the White House to delay the peace plan, Politico reported on June 3. Visa Applicants’ Social Media to Be Screened N early all people applying for U.S. visas will need to hand over their social media usernames along with previ- ous email addresses and phone numbers, according to a new State Department rule. The change, proposed in March 2018 and enacted at the end of May 2019, is expected to affect 15 million foreigners applying for visas, CBS News reports. To date, according to CBS News, the State Department sought social media usernames and other information only from applicants who were identified as needing extra scrutiny. About 65,000 applicants per year fell into that category. How new the practice of screen- ing social media is, however, is open to question. In an opinion in the June 10 Washington Post , a former consular offi- cer states that visa officers have had the authority to investigate applicants’ social media postings since 2014. State says the additional informa- tion “will strengthen our process for vetting these applicants and confirming their identity.” Applicants for certain diplomatic and official visa types will be exempt from the rule. “As we’ve seen around the world in recent years, social media can be a major forum for terrorist sentiment and activity,” an unidentified State Depart- ment official told The Hill . Social media identifiers will be checked against U.S. government terrorist watchlists. Consular officers will not request users’ passwords, according to a State Department FAQ about the new policy , “nor will they have any ability to modify privacy controls applicants may have implemented on these platforms.” The department adds that “con- sular officers cannot deny visas based on applicants’ race, religion, ethnicity, national origin, political views, gender or sexual orientation.” PDAA Honors Outstanding Public Diplomacy Initiatives F our Foreign Service officers received the Public Diplomacy Association of America’s Awards for Achievement in Public Diplomacy at the association’s annual awards ceremony May 5 at the Army and Navy Club. PDAA recognized the diplomats for their creativity, strong leadership skills and innovative solutions to pressing social needs. The four winners are: Natella Svistu- nova, Embassy Belmopan, Belize; Debra Toribiong, Embassy Koror, Palau; Chris Hodges, Consulate Jerusa- lem (now the Palestinian Affairs Unit, Embassy Jerusalem, Israel); and Niles Cole, Embassy Kampala, Uganda. The PDAA is a nonprofit organization that brings together professionals experienced in public diplomacy and foreign affairs to examine and support the connec- tion between the two. Natella Svistunova worked on a project to combat gender- based violence in Belize. She enlisted the help of local businesswoman Marie Sharp, whose company produced a new hot sauce called “Pure Love” that was designed with messages to counter vio- lence against women. The wife of Belize’s prime minister participated in the launch, which was covered by every major media outlet in the country. Sharp committed to donate sales proceeds to Haven House, Belize’s only shelter for women and children flee- ing domestic violence. In Palau, Debra Toribiong focused on improving public health and nutrition on the small island. Ranked the third most obese nation in the world, Palau faces challenges managing the cost of related medical care. FSO Natella Svistunova ALANKOTOK FSO Debra Toribiong ALANKOTOK