Israeli journalist who said 100,000 Gazans should have been killed after 7 October could be denied Australia visa | Australia news
An Israeli journalist who once said 100,000 Gazans should be killed after Hamas’ October 7 attack could be stopped from entering Australia ahead of a fundraiser next month.
Like First reported by Nine newspaperHome Secretary Tony Burke is considering refusing Zvi Yehezkeli a visa to the country based on his previous provocative comments.
The TV journalist will attend two events in Sydney and Melbourne in March, supported by former Israeli president Reuven Rivlin, as well as the Australian Jewish Association (AJA) and other groups.
In his statement, Burke stated that Yehezkeli was still considering applying for a visa.
“It always amazes me that someone who makes the kind of comments this person made would advertise a speaking tour without even getting a visa,” he said.
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Yehezkeli, who works as an Arab affairs commentator on Israeli television channel i24, is no stranger to controversies in recent years. Israel should respond to the Oct. 7 attack by the Palestinian militant group Hamas by killing 100,000 Gazans, he said on the broadcast.
“I know that not all of those 100,000 will be Hamas members,” he said, after estimating that Hamas only had around 20,000 members in the besieged strip.
Yehezkeli, following the death of Reuters reporter Hussam al-Masri and 19 others in an Israeli attack in August last year. Journalists killed in Gaza He is accused of being a “terrorist journalist”.
“If Israel has decided to eliminate journalists, it is better late than never,” he said.
Yehezkeli later apologized for his comments in a video post, saying he “certainly did not call for the killing of journalists, he just called for the killing of journalists.” [who] “They use their ‘press’ credentials as cover to wage war, which makes them terrorists in every sense.”
In August last year, tensions between Australia and Israel soured after Burke rejected the visa application of far-right Israeli politician Simcha Rothman. Rothman described Palestinian children in Gaza as “enemies” and called for Israel to take full control of the West Bank.
The controversy escalated further in the coming days when Israel revoked the visas of Australian representatives in the Palestinian Authority, citing Australia’s “unfair refusal” to issue visas to Israeli persons.
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu also accused Anthony Albanese of being “a weak politician who betrayed Israel and abandoned Australian Jews”.
Last month, Jewish phenomenon Sammy Yahood was also banned from entering the country for his AJA-supported tour.
Burke said “spreading hate is not a good reason to come.”
