Israel denies German journalist Serena Bilanceri a work visa over her sanctions articles
Israel's Population and Immigration Authority rejected a work visa for Serena Bilanceri, the incoming Israel correspondent of Germany's taz, after a ministry recommendation citing her articles on sanctions. Taz and Bilanceri call it an attack on press freedom and deny she called for a boycott.
1 / 2
The story, neutrally told
Right · 1Israel's Population and Immigration Authority rejected a work visa application from German journalist Serena Bilanceri, blocking her appointment as the permanent Israel correspondent of the German newspaper Die Tageszeitung (taz), according to The Jerusalem Post. The Jerusalem PostRC “The Population and Immigration Authority rejected German journalist Serena Bilanceri's work visa application in Israel on Sunday, blocking her appointment as the permanent Israel correspondent for the German newspaper Die Tageszeitung (taz).” Read at The Jerusalem Post ↗ Right · 1The decision followed a recommendation from Avi Cohen Scali, director-general of the Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism Ministry, made under Amendment 40 to the Entry into Israel Law, which lets authorities deny entry and visas to individuals acting against the state. The Jerusalem PostRC “The decision followed an official recommendation from Avi Cohen Scali, director-general of the Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism Ministry”“which allows authorities to deny entry and visas to individuals acting against the state” Read at The Jerusalem Post ↗ Right · 1The ministry's letter cited two opinion articles by Bilanceri: one from November 2025 titled "Sanctions Against Israel", which called for economic and military sanctions and adopted Amnesty International's "apartheid" characterisation, and one from September 2025 urging European countries to coordinate sanctions on Israel over the fighting in Gaza. The Jerusalem PostRC “In an article published in November 2025, titled "Sanctions Against Israel," Bilanceri argued that settler violence was part of a "radical expulsion strategy"”“In an article published in September 2025, titled "The European Union Must Act Together Now,"” Read at The Jerusalem Post ↗
Right · 1Scali said: "Anti-Israel actors and those who slander Israel should not set foot in the country. We will not tolerate calls for a boycott of Israel under the guise of professional journalism." The Jerusalem PostRC “"We will not tolerate calls for a boycott of Israel under the guise of professional journalism," he said.” Read at The Jerusalem Post ↗ Centre · 1Taz criticised the decision on Monday as "a significant infringement on press freedom" and said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government was departing from democratic rule-of-law principles, adding that such actions are otherwise known only from authoritarian regimes, Anadolu Agency reported. Anadolu AgencyN “This action constitutes “a significant infringement on press freedom. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government is thereby departing from the principles of democratic rule of law.” Read at Anadolu Agency ↗ Centre · 1The taz editorial board said Bilanceri "has at no point called for a boycott of the State of Israel" and that Israel was using legitimate criticism, also voiced by the EU, as a pretext to restrict press freedom. Anadolu AgencyN ““Serena Bilanceri has at no point called for a boycott of the State of Israel.” Read at Anadolu Agency ↗
Centre · 1Bilanceri said in a social media post that she had backed financial and military sanctions in response to Israeli government actions in the West Bank, citing settler violence and the humanitarian situation in Gaza, but never a boycott, and that opinion writing is part of a journalist's job. Anadolu AgencyN ““I have spoken out in favor of financial and military sanctions in response to the Israeli government’s actions in the West Bank” Read at Anadolu Agency ↗ Centre · 1Taz said Bilanceri had been its official correspondent since June 2026 and had previously met difficulties at Israeli borders, including a laptop confiscated at Tel Aviv airport last year and returned damaged; Anadolu reports she has also been barred from entering the country. Anadolu AgencyN “Last year, her laptop was confiscated at Tel Aviv Airport, allegedly for an explosives screening.”“has also been barred from entering the country.” Read at Anadolu Agency ↗ Mixed · 2Anadolu listed four other journalists denied entry since 2025, likely under the same law: Alice Froussard, Queralt Castillo, Frederique Le Brun and Alessandro Stefanelli; the Jerusalem Post described the decision as following recent measures against foreign activists and journalists who advocate boycotts and sanctions. Anadolu AgencyN “Before her, four other journalists received the same treatment, likely also on the basis of this law.” Read at Anadolu Agency ↗ The Jerusalem PostRC “It follows a series of regulatory measures recently taken by Israeli security and government authorities against foreign activists and journalists who advocate boycotts and sanctions against Israel.” Read at The Jerusalem Post ↗
Centre · 1Taz called on the German federal government to urge Israel to respect freedom of the press and let Bilanceri re-enter and resume work. Anadolu AgencyN “to urge the Israeli government to respect fundamental and human rights—including freedom of expression and freedom of the press—and to allow taz employee Serena Bilanceri to re-enter Israel and resume her work there without restriction.” Read at Anadolu Agency ↗
Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on. The pill in front of each says where its sources sit: Left, Centre or Right when one side supplies at least half of them, Mixed when they are evenly split. The number is how many outlets it cites.
Left0 outlets
No left outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
Centre1 outlet
- Framing
- Anadolu Agency leads with taz's criticism of the visa denial as a press freedom violation, then sets out the Israeli accusation and Bilanceri's rebuttal.
- Emphasis
- Taz's and Bilanceri's statements, the laptop incident, previous journalists denied entry, and the call on Berlin to intervene.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Gives less detail on the specific legal provisions and the content of the articles; relies on Israel National News for the Israeli side.
- Charged language
- “authoritarian regimes”“significant infringement on press freedom”
- For example
-
“We are otherwise only familiar with such actions from authoritarian regimes,” the newspaper said.” — Anadolu Agency
Right1 outlet
- Framing
- The Jerusalem Post reports the rejection from the Israeli officials' side, leading with the ministry's justification and quoting the offending articles.
- Emphasis
- The legal basis (Amendment 40, Section 2(d)(1)), the articles' content, and Scali's statement.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Does not include taz's or Bilanceri's response, her denial of advocating a boycott, or the earlier denied journalists.
- Charged language
- “anti-Zionist”“Anti-Israel actors”“slander Israel”“under the guise of professional journalism”
- For example
-
“We will not tolerate calls for a boycott of Israel under the guise of professional journalism,” — The Jerusalem Post
What every side reports
- Israel's Population and Immigration Authority denied Serena Bilanceri a work visa.
- The decision relates to her September and November 2025 articles about sanctions on Israel.
- Avi Cohen Scali said calls for a boycott under the guise of journalism would not be tolerated.
Where accounts differ
-
Whether Bilanceri called for a boycott of Israel
- Centre
- Anadolu reports taz and Bilanceri deny any boycott call; she says she advocated financial and military sanctions, and taz calls the denial a press freedom violation.
- Right
- The Jerusalem Post says she called for sanctions and cites this as grounds for denial, with Scali describing it as a boycott call.
Population and Immigration Authority organisation
Rejected the visa on a ministry recommendation under the Entry into Israel Law, on the basis of Bilanceri's sanctions articles.
“The decision was made under the authority granted to the interior minister by Section 2(d)(1) of the Entry into Israel Law.” — The Jerusalem Post
taz organisation
Says Bilanceri never called for a boycott, calls the denial a serious infringement of press freedom and asks the German government to intervene.
“It is unacceptable that the Israeli government is using legitimate criticism—which has also been voiced by the EU—of Israel’s actions in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip as a pretext to restrict press freedom.” — Anadolu Agency
Israel place
Israeli officials say those who slander Israel or call for a boycott should not enter, and that the law lets the state deny entry.
“"Anti-Israel actors and those who slander Israel should not set foot in the country.” — The Jerusalem Post
Israel1 outlet
Jerusalem Post frames the denial as an application of entry law against calls for sanctions.
“which allows authorities to deny entry and visas to individuals acting against the state” — The Jerusalem Post
The Jerusalem Post
Middle East1 outlet
Anadolu frames it as a press freedom issue, citing German criticism.
“a significant infringement on press freedom” — Anadolu Agency
Anadolu Agency
Left0 articles
No coverage yet.
Centre1 article
-
German daily criticizes Israel for denying work visa to one of its journalists
Sympathetic Foregrounds taz's and Bilanceri's objections and the pattern of earlier denials, while relaying the Israeli accusation.
Right1 article
-
Immigration Authority rejects German journalist's work visa application over anti-Zionist politics
Neutral Presents the denial through the Israeli ministry's rationale and quotes, without the journalist's response.
- 12 Oct 10:06 First The Jerusalem PostRC Immigration Authority rejects German journalist's work visa application over anti-Zionist politics
- 12 Oct 22:33 +12h 28m Anadolu AgencyN German daily criticizes Israel for denying work visa to one of its journalists
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.
Ask about this story
Loading…