Australia has refused to grant a visa to former Israeli minister Ayelet Shaked
Australia has declined to issue a visa to Ayelet Shaked, the former Israeli Minister, citing character-related concerns.
On Thursday evening, Australia’s Home Affairs department officially notified the former interior and justice minister of the rejection of her visitor visa application, citing concerns that her presence could potentially “vilify” Australians or “incite discord.”
Shaked had been slated to participate in a security conference set to take place in Canberra the following week.
The Department announced that, following thorough deliberation, a ministerial delegate has opted to deny the issuance of a visa.
Shaked was impeded by specific provisions of the Migration Act, which authorize the minister to deny a visa if there is a belief that the applicant may “vilify a segment of the Australian community, or incite discord within the Australian community or among a segment of that community.”
The decision regarding the visa is final and comes in the wake of Australia’s recent policy shift concerning Israel and its military actions in Gaza and Lebanon.
In response to the recent developments, Shaked expressed intense outrage, labeling the action as “shameful.”
She stated that it represents a breach of the friendship and solidarity that “ought to unify democracies.”
In previous statements, Shaked has claimed to have collaborated extensively with Facebook to limit Palestinian content, asserting that the tech giant complied with her requests in approximately 95% of the instances.
In a departure from its previous position, Australia has now expressed support for a United Nations resolution that recognizes the “permanent sovereignty” of Palestinians in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. The endorsement, announced last week, marks a significant shift in Australia’s diplomatic stance.
On Thursday, Australia aligned itself with 158 nations, such as the United Kingdom and New Zealand, in backing a United Nations committee resolution. The resolution affirms the “permanent sovereignty of the Palestinian people over the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, as well as the Arab population’s rights in the occupied Syrian Golan over their natural resources.”
A representative for Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong indicated that the recent vote underscores global apprehension regarding Israel’s actions, particularly highlighting its continuous settlement activities, land dispossession, demolitions, and violence by settlers against Palestinians.
The spokesperson emphasized that actions of this nature destabilize the region and jeopardize the viability of a two-state resolution.
“The resolution significantly references United Nations Security Council resolutions that underscore the critical importance of a two-state solution, a concept that has historically received bipartisan backing.”
