Nils A. Haug
Somewhat covertly, in November 2024, Ayelet Shaked, a former Israeli Minister of Justice, was shockingly denied permission to enter Australia for the purpose of participating in a conference discussing current Middle East events. The conference was hosted by the Australia Israel & Jewish Affairs Council (AIJAC), and intended to be a Jewish community event.
Colin Rubenstein, executive director of AIJAC, denounced the visa denial, made without a reason being disclosed at the time, by Australian Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke. In Rubenstein's view, "The decision to refuse a visa to... Shaked on the grounds that she would vilify Australians and incite discord among the community is a disgraceful act of hostility towards a democratic ally."
Refusing entry to a Western country of a former Israeli cabinet minister is simply a further incident in a global de-platforming movement against Jewish-Israeli personalities. In January 2022, some 20 cultural acts withdrew in protest against sponsorship by Israel's embassy in Australia of a performance by the Sydney Dance Company, scheduled to be presented at Sydney's cultural festival. The act was based on a work by Tel Aviv's Batsheva Dance Company, and Israeli choreographer Ohad Naharin, but was vilified due to its Israel-Jewish connection.
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