Israel summons Australian envoy over denial of visa for ex-minister Shaked

Israel’s new Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar speaks during a hand over ceremony with his predecessor at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Jerusalem on 10 November, 2024 [MENAHEM KAHANA/AFP via Getty Images]

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar summoned the Australian Ambassador to Tel Aviv, Ralph King, on Monday to reprimand him over Canberra’s refusal to grant an entry visa to former Israeli Minister Ayelet Shaked. According to the Israeli Foreign Ministry, the decision goes against “the values of democracy and freedom of expression,” and claimed that it was based on “false allegations promoted by the pro-Palestinian lobby.”

The ministry quoted Sa’ar as telling the ambassador that Tel Aviv views the decision as serious, and noted that it ignores the long-lasting friendship between the two countries and reflects an unfair Australian position.

The Australian authorities denied Shaked a visa to participate in a conference by the Australia/Israel and Jewish Affairs Council (AIJAC) on the grounds that she might threaten “social cohesion”. Shaked claimed that she was denied entry to Australia for “political reasons” and claimed that the current Australian government is hostile to Israel, strongly pro-Palestinian and even — predictably — “anti-Semitic”.

“Because of my opposition to the establishment of a Palestinian state, they will not allow me to visit and participate in a strategic dialogue between [Israel and Australia],” she said. “These are dark days for Australian democracy, and this [Australian] government has chosen the wrong side of history.”

Press reports quoted Australian Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke as saying, “My department has been refusing visas of people who want to come here and talk about the conflict if we think that they are going to seriously undermine social cohesion when they’re here.”

Shaked is on record as saying on social media in 2014 that all Palestinians should be killed. “The entire Palestinian people is the enemy” and should be destroyed, “including its elderly and it women, its cities and its villages…” Her comments were taken to be a call for genocide.

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