Israeli tourists required to disclose IDF service before entering country

Visa application to New Zealand asks Israelis if they have “committed or been involved in war crimes, crimes against humanity, or human rights abuses.”

By World Israel News Staff

New Zealand recently denied a tourist visa to an Israeli citizen who served in Gaza, signaling that the country is adopting a policy similar to that of neighboring Australia.

According to a Zman Israel report, New Zealand now requires Israelis to disclose extensive details about their military service when applying for a visa.

The country requires Israelis to detail sensitive information about their military service, including their army identification numbers, their roles and details of their duties, locations of the bases where they served, the name of their unit or corps, and more.

Israelis who served in classified roles are forbidden from providing many these details, making it impossible for them to apply for a visa at this time, Zman Israel reported.

An additional questionnaire asks applicants if they have “committed or been involved in war crimes, crimes against humanity, or human rights abuses.”

The application also asks if Israelis are associated with “a group or organization that has used or promoted violence or human rights abuses to further their aims.”

One Israeli, speaking anonymously to Zman Israel, said that he was denied a visa after revealing he had performed military service in Gaza, despite answering no to the questions about being complicit in human rights violations and war crimes.

Notably, INZ, New Zealand’s immigration authority, did not dispute that they had denied a visa to an Israeli solely because he had served in the Gaza Strip.

“INZ understands the difficult situation this crisis is causing for many and has great sympathy for those separated from their loved ones during this stressful time,” the INZ told Zman Israel.

“A visitor visa can be declined for a number of reasons, and it is difficult for us to comment on why a person’s application was declined without the details of their application. Immigration instructions do not prevent individuals who have served in this conflict from applying for or being granted a visitor visa.”

In December, Australia denied visas to two IDF soldiers because they had served in Gaza.