Australian authorities reportedly cited their military service as the reason for requiring additional checks, ultimately barring them from traveling.
Two Israeli soldiers, Omer and Ella Berger, were denied visas to Australia due to their service in the Israeli army, prompting additional scrutiny from Australian authorities, Israeli media reported on Thursday.
According to the Israeli news outlet Israel Hayom, “six family members applied for visitor visas approximately two months before their scheduled flight to celebrate their grandmother Julan Berger’s centennial birthday.”
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While four of the visas were approved promptly, Omer, an academic reserve program participant, and Ella, a member of the Intelligence Corps, were subjected to lengthy security screening
Australian authorities reportedly cited their military service as the reason for requiring additional checks, ultimately barring them from traveling.
This delay has sparked accusations among pro-Israel advocates that Australia’s actions reflect an increasingly critical stance toward Israel amid its ongoing aggression in Gaza.
Not an Isolated Incident
This incident mirrors a previous case in which Australian officials denied a visa to former Israeli Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked, citing concerns her presence could offend certain communities.
Shaked, who had to cancel her appearance at a Jewish conference in Australia, criticized the government, stating: “The current Australian government has taken an anti-Israeli and extreme pro-Palestinian position.”
Australia’s Department of Home Affairs, however, clarified that there had been no changes to visa policies for Israelis.
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According to a department spokesperson, “following standard procedures, authorities may require applicants to complete supplementary documentation when they need additional information for specific cases.” They also noted that 11,000 Israelis were granted visas in the past year.
The visa denials come amid growing criticism of Israel in Australia, fueled by weekly protests in Sydney over the ongoing Israeli actions in Gaza.
The demonstrations, which have gained widespread support, call for stronger action from the Australian government.
These protests have intensified following the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) issuance of an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last November.
Every Sunday, demonstrators march through Sydney’s streets, urging the government, a signatory to the Rome Statute, to respond more forcefully to the devastation unfolding in Gaza.
Ongoing Genocide
Flouting a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire, Israel has faced international condemnation amid its continued brutal offensive on Gaza.
Currently on trial before the International Court of Justice for genocide against Palestinians, Israel has been waging a devastating war on Gaza since October 7.
According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, 44,875 Palestinians have been killed, and 106,454 wounded in Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza starting on October 7, 2023.
Moreover, at least 11,000 people are unaccounted for, presumed dead under the rubble of their homes throughout the Strip.
Israel says that 1,200 soldiers and civilians were killed during the Al-Aqsa Flood Operation on October 7. Israeli media published reports suggesting that many Israelis were killed on that day by ‘friendly fire’.
Palestinian and international organizations say that the majority of those killed and wounded are women and children.
The Israeli war has resulted in an acute famine, mostly in northern Gaza, resulting in the death of many Palestinians, mostly children.
The Israeli aggression has also resulted in the forceful displacement of nearly two million people from all over the Gaza Strip, with the vast majority of the displaced forced into the densely crowded southern city of Rafah near the border with Egypt – in what has become Palestine’s largest mass exodus since the 1948 Nakba.
Later in the war, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians began moving from the south to central Gaza in a constant search for safety.
(PC, Al-Mayadeen)
