Israel Bars German Journalist Over Antisemitic Articles

Israel's Ministry of Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism has recommended that the Population and Immigration Authority deny entry to German journalist Serena Bilančeri. The ministry cited two opinion pieces published by Bilančeri in 2025, in which she called for economic and military sanctions against Israel and described Israel as an "apartheid state." The Population and Immigration Authority accepted the recommendation, preventing Bilančeri from taking up her post as the permanent correspondent in Israel for the German newspaper taz.

Bilančeri, a 43-year-old German national of Italian descent, reports on the Israeli-Arab conflict from Jordan, Syria, and Israel. According to the Ministry of Diaspora Affairs, she had requested a work visa recommendation from the Government Press Office. The ministry stated that its recommendation was based on Amendment 40 to the Entry into Israel Law and an agreement between ministries regarding the transfer of recommendations and information.

The ministry asserted that Bilančeri echoes anti-Israel messages, including the claim that Israel is an "apartheid state." They further stated that in at least two opinion pieces, she publicly called for sanctions against Israel, and these calls meet the legal criteria for denying entry and residency permits.

Avi Cohen Scali, Director General of the Ministry, stated, "Anti-Israel elements and those who slander Israel should not set foot here. We will not tolerate calls for a boycott of Israel under the guise of professional journalism. Professional journalism should not take sides in the conflict it covers, and certainly not exploit state platforms to promote agendas that harm it."

One article, published on November 17, 2025, titled "Sanctions Against Israel," adopted Amnesty International's definition of Israel as an "apartheid state." In it, Bilančeri wrote, "Settler violence is not an isolated incident, but part of a radical expulsion strategy. Pressure must come from the international community. The United States, as well as Germany and Europe, must impose economic and military sanctions." In another article from September 1, 2025, she wrote that "the European Union must act together now," in response to Germany's opposition to the European Commission's proposal to impose sanctions on Israel due to the war in the Gaza Strip. She urged EU countries to act jointly, adding, "Europe must now take a firm stance. And if this step is not effective, further sanctions must be imposed. There are proposals for this, also at the European level. One only needs the will to implement them."