Government “going through the motions” of questioning Israeli soldiers at the border

The government has begun questioning Israeli soldiers about their military service in Gaza at the New Zealand border as revealed in a Times of Israel story today which says:

“New Zealand’s government immigration authority has begun to require Israelis applying for a visa to report details of their military service as a condition for entry, and at least one person has been denied admission after doing so, The Times of Israel has learned”

However, the details of the questions asked reveals the government is simply “going through the motions” to weed out possible war criminals.

The key questions asked are:

• “Have you been associated with any intelligence service or group, or law enforcement agency?”
• “Have you been associated with any group or organization that has used or promoted violence or human rights abuses to further their aims?”
• “Have you committed or been involved in war crimes, crimes against humanity, or human rights abuses?”

It’s obvious how every soldier will answer those questions and New Zealand is none the wiser.

What the story also reveals is that the rejection rate for visas for Israelis coming here has not changed since the genocide began in Gaza.

An analysis of INZ statistical data indicates that the rejection rate for Israeli visa applications to New Zealand during the war has been approximately four percent. This is not unusually high compared to previous years or the rejection rates for citizens of other developed countries.

It’s clear the questioning of Israeli soldiers is not revealing people involved in war crimes and is a “look busy” policy. This gives more reason for the government to adopt PSNA policy and suspend all visas for anyone who has served in the IDF since 7 October 2023.

The government must also uphold the International Court of Justice Advisory opinion (19 July 2024) which calls on the government to end support for Israel’s illegal occupation. This means we should also deny entry to every Israeli wanting to visit here who has an address in an illegal Israeli settlement in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

John Minto

National Chair

Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa