Israel denies work visa and entry to German taz correspondent Bilanceri
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Israel has denied a work visa and entry to Serena Bilanceri, the Israel and Palestinian territories correspondent for the left-leaning German newspaper taz. The taz called the decision a significant interference with press freedom and accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government of abandoning democratic rule of law. Israeli media reported the decision relates to Bilanceri's reports and commentaries on settler violence in the West Bank and the situation in Gaza, in which she allegedly accused Israel of apartheid and called for measures against the country. Diaspora Ministry Director-General Avi Cohen Scali said anti-Israel actors and those who defame Israel should not set foot in the country and that calls to boycott Israel under the guise of professional journalism would not be tolerated. Bilanceri said she never called for a boycott but supported financial and military sanctions in response to Israeli government actions in the West Bank. The taz said Bilanceri has had previous entry and exit problems, including her laptop being destroyed after a explosives check last year, and is currently in Jordan.
Source report
The entrance to the publishing building of the daily newspaper "taz" on Friedrichstraße in Berlin Source: Jens Kalaene/dpa
Serena Bilanceri is said to have accused Israel of "apartheid" in reports and commentaries and called for measures against the country. Now the state has denied her a work visa. The "taz" accuses Prime Minister Netanyahu of interfering with press freedom.
Israel has denied a work visa to Serena Bilanceri, correspondent for the left-leaning daily newspaper "tageszeitung" ("taz"). The Israeli government also refused Bilanceri entry into the country, the "taz" told the German Press Agency (dpa) upon request.
"We regard this as a significant interference with press freedom. The government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is thus abandoning the ground of democratic rule of law."
No justification for the decision was initially provided. Several Israeli media outlets reported on the case. According to those reports, the matter concerns the journalist's reports and commentaries on settler violence in the West Bank and the situation in the Gaza Strip, in which she accused Israel of "apartheid" and called for measures against the country.
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The "Jerusalem Post" quoted the Director General of the Diaspora Ministry, Avi Cohen Scali, as saying: "Anti-Israeli actors and those who defame Israel should not set foot in the country." He also said, according to the report: "We will not tolerate calls to boycott Israel under the guise of professional journalism."
Previous Problems with Entry and Exit
The "taz" editorial leadership stated that Bilanceri had at no point called for a boycott of the State of Israel. "It is unacceptable that the Israeli government uses legitimate criticism—also voiced by the EU—of Israel's actions in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip as grounds to restrict press freedom."
According to the statements, the journalist, who has been the official "taz" correspondent for Israel and the Palestinian territories since June, had already experienced problems entering and exiting Israel in the past. Last year, for example, her laptop was examined for explosives and returned destroyed. "She is currently in Jordan, from where she has been denied re-entry into Israel," the "taz" further stated.
Bilanceri wrote on the platform X that she had never called for a boycott of Israel. "I have advocated for financial and military sanctions in response to the Israeli government's actions in the West Bank, particularly in light of settler violence and the humanitarian situation." To those who made this decision and spoke with Israeli media but not with her, she wanted to say: "You are not banning 'anti-Israeli actors.' You are banning foreign journalists who have criticized your government's actions."
dpa/saha
Source
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