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Pro-Palestine groups welcome New Zealand’s move to force visiting Israelis to disclose military service
1-29-2025
New Zealand introduced a new immigration policy requiring Israeli visa applicants to disclose their military service details, a move that has been welcomed by pro-Palestine groups.
According to the country's immigration office, the new visa requirements, which apply to Israelis seeking to visit the country, designed to probe potential involvement in human rights abuses, including war crimes. Israel has come under international scrutiny for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Gaza.
Under the new guidelines, Israelis applying for a visitor visa must answer a series of questions related to their military service.
These include inquiries about whether applicants have "used or promoted violence or human rights abuses" in the course of their duties, or have been involved in "war crimes, crimes against humanity, or human rights violations".
Israelis were also asked if they have associations with intelligence services or groups linked to violent activities.
Israel is being investigated for potential genocide in Gaza at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), while the International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Yoav Gallant for numerous suspected war crimes committed in the war.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) welcomed the move, calling on other countries - including the US - to follow New Zealand's measures.
"We welcome this decision by the government of New Zealand and urge other nations worldwide to adopt similar measures," the group said in a statement.
"The Israeli military has engaged in widespread crimes against humanity in Gaza, and nations should ensure they are not allowing war criminals to enter their borders."
Calls for a total visa ban
But some pro-Palestine groups in New Zealand have argued the measures may not lead to meaningful changes.
The Palestine Network Aotearoa expressed scepticism, noting that the nature of the questions ensure that soldiers, by default, will not provide revealing answers that might incriminate them.
They also argue that the questioning seems more symbolic than substantive, asserting that it is an ineffective "look busy" policy that does little to address the core issue.
Despite the criticism, the visa rejection rate for Israelis has not changed significantly since the escalation of the Gaza war, where at least 47,417 Palestinians have been killed.
Data from Immigration New Zealand (INZ) suggests that the rate of rejected applications for Israeli nationals has remained around four percent - comparable to previous years and not unusually high in the context of other countries.
However, New Zealand's Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa called for stronger measures, proposing a suspension of visas for individuals who have served in the Israeli army since 7 October 2023, when the war on Gaza began.
The group's National Chair, John Minto said: "The government must also uphold the International Court of Justice Advisory opinion 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."
Israel working holiday visa slammed
Activists have launched a "genocide hotline" campaign to track Israeli soldiers holidaying, including revoking visas for those linked to the army, particularly those from illegal settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
The Palestine Network said: "Many of these soldiers openly boast about their war crimes on social media, sharing posts of themselves torturing and murdering Palestinians, and blowing up mosques and hospitals.
"The scheme is putting all New Zealanders at risk by allowing Israeli soldiers who may have committed violent war crimes to walk amongst us."
Brussels-based Hind Rajab Foundation has attempted to hold Israeli soldiers accountable for war crimes by reporting them to local authorities.
In December, Israel evacuated one of its soldiers from Sri Lanka moments before he was to be summoned in a probe about war crimes in the Gaza Strip.
The non-profit legal organisation also sought the apprehension of Israeli soldiers visiting other countries such as Italy and Brazil.
In response, the New Zealand Immigration (INZ), insisted that military service alone is not grounds for visa rejection. The agency clarified that it prioritises applications from individuals impacted by the Gaza war and ensures consistency in processing all visa applications.
In a statement, the government agency said: "INZ has not enacted any new policies for processing visitor visa applications from Israeli or Palestinian nationals. To be clear, military service is not grounds alone to decline visa applications."
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