‘Deeply offensive’: Israel furious as Australia denies ex-minister a visa

Israel has condemned Australia’s decision to deny a visa to former Israeli justice minister Ayelet Shaked on character grounds, warning in a statement on X that the decision was deeply offensive and would harm relations between the two countries.

The threat tests already-strained diplomatic ties as Australia seeks to tiptoe around the International Criminal Court’s decision to issue arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defence chief Yoav Gallant, as well as a Hamas leader Ibrahim al-Masri, for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Gaza conflict.

Former Israeli interior and justice minister Ayelet Shaked in 2021.Credit: AP

As the United States rejected the warrants, and Canada said it would abide by them, Foreign Minister Penny Wong said on Friday Australia respected the ICC’s independence but did not endorse or oppose its decision, or say what the government would do if any of the men set foot here.

“Australia respects the independence of the International Criminal Court and its important role in upholding international law,” Wong said in a statement posted to X on Friday morning.

“Australia is focused on working with countries that want peace to press for an urgently needed ceasefire … We have been clear that all parties to the conflict must comply with international humanitarian law. Civilians must be protected. Hostages must be released.”

But in a statement posted on X on Friday evening [AEDT], Oren Marmorstein, a spokesman for Israel’s Foreign Ministry, said “the Australian government’s decision to deny a visa to former Israeli minister Ayelet Shaked is unacceptable. The decision is deeply offensive and troubling, and will have a negative impact on Israel-Australia relations.”

Shaked was known as “the iron lady” during her tenure in right-wing parties in the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, for her implacable pursuit of Palestinians for state crimes and campaigns for Jewish expansion into the West Bank. She drew international condemnation in November last year when she called for the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis to be turned into a soccer field. “We need all 2 million to leave,” she told Israel’s Channel 13. “That is the solution for Gaza.”

Australia’s decision to block her visa was condemned by Australia’s Jewish community and made headlines across Israel, where Shaked criticised the decision as “shameful” and called the Australian government “anti-Israel and extreme pro-Palestinian”.

Colin Rubenstein, the executive director of conference organiser the Australia Israel and Jewish Affairs Council, called the visa rejection “a disgraceful act of hostility towards a democratic ally”.

Rawan Arraf from the Australian Centre for International Justice welcomed the government’s decision to cancel her visa based on concerns that her visit could vilify Australians and incite racial discord, and called on the Home Affairs Department to apply similar scrutiny to the views of other Israelis seeking to come to Australia.

The clash follows a decision by Australia last week to back a United Nations resolution recognising Palestinians’ “permanent sovereignty” over resources in the occupied Palestinian territories in Gaza and the West Bank in a significant shift from its previous stance, angering pro-Israel groups in Australia.

The relationship between the Albanese government and Israel is further challenged by the ICC’s decision to issue an arrest warrant for Netanyahu and his defence minister.

The Netherlands-based court does not have its own police force to carry out arrests and relies on its 124 member states – including Australia – to enforce its rulings.

While the Albanese government has not gone as far as Dutch and Italian leaders, who said they stood ready to arrest the Israeli prime minister if he visited their countries, the Coalition said its position aligned with that of the US, whose President Joe Biden said the “issuance of arrest warrants against Israeli leaders is outrageous”.

Deputy Liberal leader Sussan Ley described the warrants as troubling.

“I know that Australians will be troubled today to see this targeting of a democratically elected leader who is trying to protect its country from terrorists,” she said.

On the other side of the parliament, Greens senator David Shoebridge said: “The world, including Australia, must ensure these arrest warrants are enforced”.

Science Minister Ed Husic, who has been critical of Israel and is one of the most senior Muslim MPs in parliament, pointed to Wong’s comments, saying Australia respected international law.

Pressed at a media conference in Canberra on whether Netanyahu should be arrested, Husic said: “I’m just going to let the law run its course.”

The Zionist Federation of Australia condemned the court’s warrants. “The ICC’s actions set a dangerous precedent for leaders of democracies protecting their citizens from terrorists and rogue states hellbent on their destruction,” it said.

The Australian Palestinian Advocacy Network described the court’s decision as a victory and said Australia could not shield war criminals.

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