In November, it was revealed that Ayelet Shaked, Israel’s former minister of justice and home affairs, had been refused a visa to attend the Canberra-Jerusalem Strategic Dialogue; It was a decision the former right-wing politician branded a “hostile anti-Semitic act” and a betrayal of Australia’s relationship with Israel. Israel.

However, the Interior Minister defended his decision to refuse the visa, pointing to the right-wing politician’s public statements about Palestinians and the conflict in Gaza.

“He asked for a visa to come and make a public statement. That means we need to take a look at what he said earlier,” Mr Burke told Sky News Australia’s Sunday Agenda.

“He is no longer a minister, so he is not coming to represent the government. “He wants to go on a public speaking tour, and I have to have the same principles that I already have and have demonstrated against people who demean Palestinians, against people who want to demean Israelis.”

“If someone who compared Palestinian children to snakes called for the departure of all two million Palestinians in Gaza and talked about turning cities into football fields.

“Yes, I understand those calling for the killing of terrorists, but Ms. Shaked called for the killing of the mothers who kissed them goodnight. For example, we don’t need this in Australia.

Mr. Burke said he applied the same standard when denying visas to people with a history of “egregious anti-Semitic comments.”

“I refuse visas to a large number of people who want to come here to talk about the conflict, considering that they would seriously undermine social cohesion when they are here,” Minister Burke said.

“Let me put it this way… If someone had said before that they wanted all Jews to leave Israel, I would not have given them visas. Ms Shaked said all Palestinians should leave Gaza.

“If someone wanted to come here and say that they had previously nominated certain cities in Israel and they should be completely razed to the ground. I wouldn’t give them a visa to come here and give a speech. Ms. Shaked specifically said that one of the cities in Gaza should have a football field.”

“I wish someone had commented about the Israelis before and described them as octopus-like, reptile-like, or other terrible terms like that. There’s no way I’m letting them enter the country. Ms. Shaked compares Palestinian children to little snakes and describes them as little snakes.”

If there’s one comment the Labor Minister keeps hearing from voters, it’s that “they don’t want the hatred from abroad to be brought here.”

“Whether that hatred belittles Israelis or denigrates Palestinians, I will take the same hard line,” he said.

“My view is really simple. If you’re coming here just to humiliate people, we can do without you.”

The Australia/Israel and Jewish Affairs Council (AIJAC), which organized the strategic dialogue at which Ms Shaked will speak, criticized the government’s decision to refuse the visa as “a shameful act of hostility towards a democratic ally”.

“This is not the action of a responsible government, but further evidence of the loss of perspective and principle that since the horrific terrorist attacks of October 7 the primary concern has been supporting votes,” said AIJAC executive director Colin Rubenstein.

However, Minister Burke rejected the criticism and stated that if he did, he would not deny all visas to people who say “terrible things about Israel and Israelis.”

“I have been completely consistent… My responsibility as immigration minister is to listen to the security advice we have received from ASIO chief executive about threats to social cohesion – all of which has been said publicly,” he said.

“And if someone is coming for a specific purpose, such as a public speaking tour, where they have a record of saying things to incite discord, then (my responsibility) is to protect Australia, and that’s what I’ve done. That’s what I’ll continue to do.

“My obligation is a national security obligation to Australia and I take that seriously.”