TEL AVIV — Relations between Israel and Australia slid deeper into turmoil this week, as a dispute over visas erupted into a broader clash tied to Canberra’s recent decision to recognize Palestinian statehood, reported by Hurriyet Daily News.
On August 18, Australia barred far-right Israeli lawmaker Simcha Rothman from entering the country, cancelling his visa and prohibiting reapplication for three years. Rothman, a member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s governing coalition, had planned a speaking tour. Australia’s Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said the government would not allow figures who “spread division” to use Australian soil as a platform.
Within hours, Israel struck back. Foreign Minister Gideon Saar revoked visas held by Australian diplomats accredited to the Palestinian Authority and ordered closer scrutiny of any future Australian visa requests. Saar cited Canberra’s recognition of a Palestinian state and what he called “unjustified refusals” of Israeli officials’ visas.
Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong condemned the move as an “unjustified reaction,” accusing Israel’s government of isolating itself at a moment when diplomacy is most needed. “The Netanyahu government is undermining international efforts towards peace and a two-state solution,” she said.
Netanyahu responded with sharp personal criticism, labeling Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese “a weak politician who betrayed Israel and abandoned Australia’s Jews.”
The flare-up comes just weeks before the United Nations General Assembly in September, where Australia is set to formally join more than 140 member states in recognizing Palestinian statehood. That push has been reignited globally by the ongoing war in Gaza, which began after Hamas’ October 7, 2023 attack on Israel.
What began as a tit-for-tat visa dispute now reflects a deeper rupture: two longtime partners drifting apart over the question of Palestine, with diplomacy giving way to recriminations.
