Germany Denies Work Visa to Journalist Accused of Anti-Israel Stance
Translated & summarized from Behadrei Haredim by baba
Israel's Population and Immigration Authority denied a work visa to German journalist Serena Bilanceri, preventing her from reporting from Israel for the newspaper "die tageszeitung." The decision was based on her past calls for economic and security sanctions against Israel and her characterization of the country as an "apartheid state." The Ministry of Diaspora and Combating Antisemitism recommended the denial, citing a law that allows entry denial for those advocating boycotts. Bilanceri's articles in late 2025 urged international sanctions against Israel over settler violence and the war in Gaza.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Israel denied a work visa to German journalist Serena Bilanceri, preventing her from reporting from the country.
- The decision was based on Bilanceri's past calls for economic and security sanctions against Israel.
- Bilanceri characterized Israel as an "apartheid state" in her reporting.
- The Ministry of Diaspora and Combating Antisemitism recommended the visa denial.
- The denial cites a law allowing entry refusal for individuals advocating boycotts against Israel.
- Bilanceri wrote articles in late 2025 urging international sanctions against Israel.
Israel's Population and Immigration Authority has denied a work visa to German journalist Serena Bilanceri, preventing her from serving as the permanent correspondent in Israel for the German newspaper "die tageszeitung" (taz). The decision followed a recommendation from Avi Cohen Scali, Director General of the Ministry of Diaspora and Combating Antisemitism, who urged the authority to block her entry.
The move is based on an amendment to Israel's Entry into Israel Law, which allows for the denial of entry to individuals who call for boycotts or sanctions against the country. Bilanceri, a 43-year-old German citizen of Italian descent who covers the Middle East from countries including Israel, Jordan, and Syria, was found to promote a distinctly anti-Israel narrative. Investigations revealed she adopted the narrative defining Israel as an "apartheid state" and used her media platform on at least two occasions to explicitly call for economic and security sanctions against Israel.
"Anti-Israel elements and those who slander Israel should not set foot here," stated Avi Cohen Scali. "We will not tolerate calls for boycotts against Israel under the guise of professional journalism. Professional journalism should not take sides in the conflict it covers, and certainly not use the country's platforms to promote agendas that harm it."
The primary basis for the decision rests on two opinion pieces Bilanceri published in the past year. In mid-November 2025, under the headline "Sanctions Against Israel," she cited Amnesty International reports and claimed settler violence was not an isolated phenomenon but "part of a radical expulsion strategy." In that article, she urged world powers to intervene, stating, "Pressure must come from the international community. The United States, as well as Germany and Europe, must impose economic and military sanctions."
Approximately two months prior, in early September 2025, she published another article criticizing Germany's opposition to the European Commission's proposal for sanctions against Israel over the war in Gaza. Bilanceri demanded the European Union act with a unified and firm front, asserting, "Europe is now required to take a decisive stance. And if this step is not effective, further sanctions must be imposed."
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