Denying Foreign Journalists Entry to Israel
On October 25, 2026, ACRI appealed to the Director General of the Population and Immigration Authority, demanding an end to the denial of entry to foreign journalists based on their views or the nature of their journalistic coverage, and the establishment of clear and transparent procedures for reviewing entry requests from journalists.
The appeal was sent because of an increase in the number of foreign journalists being denied entry to Israel; in the past two weeks alone, five journalists have been denied entry. According to reports, decisions to deny entry are sometimes made arbitrarily and without any explanation given, even after journalists have received prior authorization to enter. In some cases, the decisions were made after examining statements made by the journalists on social media. This conduct raises concerns that the authorities are attempting to prevent critical coverage of government policies.
The appeal, written by ACRI’s Legal Advisor, Attorney Oded Feller, emphasized that although the State has discretion in deciding whether to admit foreign nationals, this authority is not unlimited. Criticism of the government, being pro-Palestinian, or having a particular political viewpoint are not, in and of themselves, lawful grounds for denying entry to Israel. Decisions based on a person’s views constitute unlawful discrimination and infringe on freedom of expression and freedom of the press.
Denying journalists entry affects not only the journalists themselves, but also the right of the Israeli public to have access diverse and independent information, particularly on important issues such as the state of human rights in Israel and the occupied territories and the consequences of the war. Infringing on the right of the public to know is particularly serious during times of emergency and war, when public criticism and oversight over the actions of the government are essential.
We demanded that the Population and Immigration Authority instruct border control officials not to deny journalists entry because of their views; publish a publicly available procedure clarifying the lawful grounds for denying entry and clarifying that their views and criticism are not grounds for denial; consider less restrictive alternatives in cases when there is a genuine, evidence-based risk; and provide written reasons for every decision to deny entry.
ACRI’s appeal, October 25, 2026 (Heb)
