Immigration Authority rejects German journalist's work visa application over anti-Zionist politics

Serena Bilanceri’s application to work in Israel was rejected on Sunday. That decision blocked her appointment as the permanent Israel correspondent for the German newspaper Die Tageszeitung, also known as taz. It matters because the ruling directly affects a foreign journalist’s ability to take up a reporting post in Israel.

The recommendation came from Avi Cohen Scali, director-general of the Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism Ministry. It was submitted to the Population and Immigration Authority under Amendment 40 to the Entry into Israel Law. The authority then rejected Bilanceri’s work visa application.

The ministry cited Bilanceri’s published opinions about Israel. These included accusations of apartheid and calls for sanctions. Scali said Israel would not tolerate calls for a boycott “under the guise of professional journalism.” The article does not state whether Bilanceri can appeal or whether she may receive another visa later.

Serena Bilanceri is a 43-year-old German journalist of Italian descent. She covers the regional conflict from Jordan, Syria, and Israel. Her reporting and commentary brought her into conflict with Israeli authorities because several published opinion articles sharply criticized Israel’s policies and international conduct.

The articles cited in the recommendation described Israel as an “apartheid state,” adopting Amnesty International’s characterization. Bilanceri also wrote that settler violence formed part of a “radical expulsion strategy.” She called for the United States, Germany, and other European countries to impose economic and military sanctions against Israel.

In another article, she criticized Germany for opposing a European Commission proposal to sanction Israel over the fighting in Gaza. She urged European countries to coordinate sanctions and tighten them if necessary. The article presents these views as the stated basis for the ministry’s recommendation, not as a complete account of her journalism.

Amendment 40 is a provision of Israel’s Entry into Israel Law. As described in the article, it allows authorities to deny entry and visas to individuals who are acting against the state. That gives the authorities a legal route to prevent certain foreign nationals from entering Israel or receiving permission to work there.

In Bilanceri’s case, Avi Cohen Scali’s recommendation was made under Amendment 40. The recommendation went to the Population and Immigration Authority, which rejected her work visa application. The article also says the recommendation followed an agreement allowing the Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism Ministry and the Population and Immigration Authority to share information and recommendations in such cases.

The decision was also made under authority granted to the interior minister by Section 2(d)(1) of the same law. The article does not explain the amendment’s full text, appeal process, or every category of conduct covered by it.

The recommendation specifically cited two of Bilanceri’s articles. One appeared in November 2025 under the title “Sanctions Against Israel.” The other appeared in September 2025 and was titled “The European Union Must Act Together Now.” Together, they supplied the concrete examples used to support the ministry’s position.

In the November article, Bilanceri described settler violence as part of a “radical expulsion strategy.” She called on the United States, Germany, and other European countries to impose economic and military sanctions. She also adopted Amnesty International’s description of Israel as an “apartheid state.”

In the September article, she criticized Germany for opposing a European Commission sanctions proposal concerning the fighting in Gaza. She called for coordinated European action and said sanctions should be tightened if necessary. The recommendation therefore focused on advocacy for sanctions and collective pressure.

Bilanceri cannot take up the permanent Israel correspondent position for Die Tageszeitung under the rejected application. A work visa is the authorization needed for a foreign national to work legally in the country, so the refusal directly prevents her from beginning that assignment in Israel.

The article says she covers the regional conflict from Jordan, Syria, and Israel. After the decision, she may still report from locations outside Israel, but the article does not describe her future arrangements. It also does not say whether Die Tageszeitung will appoint someone else, whether Bilanceri can appeal, or whether another application is possible.

The decision forms part of a series of recent regulatory measures against foreign activists and journalists who advocate boycotts and sanctions against Israel. Its wider effect is to signal that published advocacy of such measures can affect access to Israel, especially when authorities view it as action against the state.

A journalist’s professional activity usually means gathering information, interviewing sources, checking claims, and reporting or analyzing events for an audience. Political advocacy goes further by urging governments, organizations, or the public to adopt a policy. Calls for sanctions or a boycott are examples because they seek organized economic or political pressure against a country.

The article highlights this distinction through Bilanceri’s published opinion pieces. She called for economic and military sanctions, urged European coordination, and supported stronger measures if necessary. Avi Cohen Scali characterized such conduct as calls for a boycott “under the guise of professional journalism.” Bilanceri’s appointment was then blocked after her visa was rejected.

The boundary can be contested because journalists may publish opinions while also reporting news. The article does not establish a universal test for separating journalism from advocacy. It shows that Israeli authorities interpreted these particular statements as conduct against Israel rather than only as professional commentary.

A work visa is official permission for a foreign national to enter or remain in a country for employment. It usually identifies the permitted work, employer, or period of stay. Without the required authorization, a foreign visitor generally cannot legally take up the job for which the visa is needed.

Governments control these permissions because entry and employment are regulated by national law. Authorities may review identity, qualifications, immigration status, security concerns, and whether the proposed work meets legal requirements. In the article, Israel’s Population and Immigration Authority rejected Bilanceri’s application after a ministry recommendation made under the Entry into Israel Law.

The article gives a specific political and legal reason for this refusal: officials cited her calls for sanctions and a boycott against Israel. More generally, visa controls determine whether a foreign correspondent can work inside the country. The article does not list all ordinary work-visa requirements or explain Bilanceri’s possible appeal rights.