Israel retaliates after Australia bans Coalition lawmaker

Israel’s Foreign Ministry moves to expel Australian envoys to the Palestinian Authority, after Australia barred senior Israeli lawmaker and announced plans to recognize unilateral Palestinian state.

By David Rosenberg, World Israel News

Israel announced Monday afternoon that it will move forward with several punitive measures against the Australian government, in response to Canberra’s decision to recognize unilateral Palestinian statehood, and to bar senior Israeli officials from entering the country.

On Monday, Australia’s home affairs minister, Tony Burke, revealed that a visa approval for MK Simcha Rothman had been cancelled, and that he would be banned from entering the country for three years.

Rothman, a member of the right-wing Religious Zionist Party, is the chairman of the Knesset’s Constitution, Law and Justice Committee, and is an architect of the judicial reform plan.

The cancellation, which came less than 24 hours before Rothman was scheduled to depart for Australia as part of a speaking tour addressing Jewish communities in Australia, came just days after Canberra announced it will join France, Canada, and Britain in recognizing unilateral Palestinian statehood next month.

Hours after Burke’s statement regarding Rothman’s ban, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar announced that Israel will respond to the entry ban and to Australia’s decision to recognize a Palestinian state by revoking visas to Canberra’s envoys to the Palestinian Authority.

The move will bar Australia’s representatives from traveling through Israel to Ramallah, preventing them from accessing the Palestinian Authority via Ben Gurion International Airport.

“I decided to revoke the visas of Australian representatives to the Palestinian Authority. The Australian Ambassador to Israel was just notified on the matter,” Sa’ar announced.

Israel will also limit visas to other Australian government officials, Sa’ar signaled.

“I also instructed the Israeli Embassy in Canberra to carefully examine any official Australian visa application for entry to Israel.”

“This follows Australia’s decisions to recognize a ‘Palestinian state’ and against the backdrop of Australia’s unjustified refusal to grant visas to a number of Israeli figures, including former Minister Ayelet Shaked and the Chairman of the Knesset’s Constitution, Law and Justice Committee, MK Simcha Rothman.”

“While antisemitism is raging in Australia, including manifestations of violence against Jews and Jewish institutions, the Australian government is choosing to fuel it by false accusations, as if the visit of Israeli figures will disrupt public order and harm Australia’s Muslim population.
It is shameful and unacceptable!”