'Did you participate in genocide?': Australia stonewalls Israeli siblings' visa application over IDF service

Israeli siblings Omer Berger, 24, and Ella Berger, 22, faced delays in obtaining Australian visas after being asked to complete to complete a 13-page document typically required for military personnel involved in war. The siblings had planned to visit their 100-year-old great-grandmother, a Holocaust survivor.

According to Berger, six family members applied for Australian visas two months ago. While all were promptly approved, Omer and Ella were told to submit the extended form. The questions included whether they had participated in physical or psychological abuse, served as guards or officials in detention facilities or engaged in war crimes or genocide.

Ella, who had received a week’s leave from her military service to attend the celebration, gave up waiting and returned to Israel. Omer, a reservist, remains in Thailand, hoping for a resolution. Berger expressed the family’s heartbreak, fearing they may never see their great-grandmother again. “We just want a clear answer, yes or no,” he said.