Former justice minister Ayelet Shaked said Thursday that Australia refused to grant her a visa to enter the country, a move she attributed to political motives, namely due to her opposition to Palestinian statehood.
“The current Australian government is anti-Israeli, extremely pro-Palestinian and in some parts even antisemitic,” Shaked said. “Because of my opposition to a Palestinian state, they won’t allow me to visit and engage in strategic dialogue between our countries. These are dark days for Australian democracy, and this government has chosen the wrong side of history.”
According to Shaked, she traveled to "participate in a strategic dialogue between the countries at the AIJAC conference." She said the decision by the Labor government was "a clear testament to its hypocrisy and its hostile stance toward Israel."
Like many countries around the world, the war in Gaza, which began following the October 7 massacre, has sparked heated political debates in Australia. While the left-wing Labor government has repeatedly called for a cease-fire, it has, unlike countries such as Spain, Ireland and Norway—who have been more critical of Israel—avoided recognizing a Palestinian state. Hamas is designated as a terrorist organization in Australia.
Throughout the summer, Australia’s political system was embroiled in debates over whether to allow Palestinian refugees to remain in the country or continue to arrive due to the ongoing war in Gaza. Canberra announced plans to extend the temporary visas of refugees who had already arrived, while the conservative opposition leader called for an outright ban on the arrival of Gazans, fearing that some might pose a security risk.
According to Australian broadcaster ABC, by August, the government had granted nearly 3,000 "visitor" visas to Palestinians who had fled Gaza or the West Bank after October 7. However, only about half of them had actually arrived in Australia, and another 7,000 applications were rejected. The visas granted were temporary, and due to the ongoing war, their validity is set to expire soon. The Australian government has stated it is exploring ways to extend the stay of the Palestinian refugees.
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