this post was submitted on 13 Dec 2024
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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.

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[–] NocturnalMorning@lemmy.world 149 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Oh the sweet irony of serving in a military committing genocide and wanting to visit your relative whom is a holocaust survivor.

[–] ShinkanTrain@lemmy.ml 43 points 1 week ago (1 children)

On land unceded to the colonizers by genocided peoples.

[–] Rentlar@lemmy.ca 86 points 1 week ago (2 children)

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

Well, they were involved in war, no matter how much lipstick this article wants to put on the pig.

[–] unexposedhazard@discuss.tchncs.de 23 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Reservist = Military Personnel

Am i missing something here or why is that even mentioned?

[–] moody@lemmings.world 7 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Reservists don't necessarily go fight in a war. A lot of their work is voluntary rather than forced.

[–] unexposedhazard@discuss.tchncs.de 11 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

Reservists are soldiers that were drafted, served and then went back to doing civilian stuff. In Israels case there are probably no reservists that did not get deployed in some capacity. The chance that any randomly picked reservist has not participated in genocide, torture or at least unjust abuse of people from Gaza or the Westbank is pretty damn low.

[–] corsicanguppy@lemmy.ca 16 points 1 week ago

Not a war; a belligerent invasion.

[–] CrayonMaster@midwest.social 70 points 1 week ago

"Stonewalled", no, that's 13 pages of routine paperwork. I had to do more to see the doctor.

[–] CrimeDad@lemmy.crimedad.work 65 points 1 week ago (2 children)
[–] Kalkaline@leminal.space 14 points 1 week ago (1 children)

You have the world's tiniest violin, but can you play it?

[–] Clasm@ttrpg.network 38 points 1 week ago (2 children)
[–] eldavi@lemmy.ml 12 points 1 week ago (1 children)

sure, but is the tardigrade any good with it? lol

[–] moody@lemmings.world 9 points 1 week ago

It's handling it all wrong, so I would guess no.

[–] jlow@beehaw.org 5 points 1 week ago (1 children)

That's neither a violin nor how you play one 🤭

[–] Clasm@ttrpg.network 6 points 1 week ago

Hey, that Tardigrade is doing his best, okay!

[–] octopus_ink@lemmy.ml 11 points 1 week ago (1 children)

For whatever reason that's not coming through for me without clicking.

For others who might have the same issue:

[–] lazynooblet@lazysoci.al 4 points 1 week ago (1 children)
[–] octopus_ink@lemmy.ml 2 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

I converted the png to a smaller filesize jpg and posted it. Here's a screenshot, but if my other pic didn't come through for you, I am thinking this one won't either.

Edit: Direct link to screenshot: https://lemmy.ml/pictrs/image/36422048-1969-4c7c-aba5-ed1a934194c2.png

[–] granolabar@kbin.melroy.org 54 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Good fuck these war criminals.

Make Israelis feel unwelcome everywhere besides their shiti apartheid shit hole.

[–] monk@lemmy.unboiled.info 16 points 1 week ago

No, you got it all wrong, make Israel feel welcome everywhere but there (provided they don't have a problem with the applicable immigration forms, ofc).

[–] Viking_Hippie@lemmy.dbzer0.com 48 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

being asked to complete to complete a 13-page document typically required for military personnel involved in war

Being part of the illegal occupation force known as the IDF should DEFINITELY qualify you for that, plus more.

[–] HumongousChungus@hexbear.net 41 points 1 week ago

“We just want a clear answer, yes or no,”

So... DID you participate in genocide?

[–] unexposedhazard@discuss.tchncs.de 37 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago)

“We just want a clear answer, yes or no,” he said.

Well they also just want a clear answer, yes or no. We already know which one it is tho...

[–] lorty@lemmygrad.ml 35 points 1 week ago (1 children)

If traveling is that important maybe don't participate in genocide then?

[–] Slavoj_Zuckerberg@hexbear.net 21 points 1 week ago (1 children)

You don't understand, the government told them to! If you think about it they're the real victims.

[–] TheLepidopterists@hexbear.net 14 points 1 week ago

Yeah, they were just following orders

[–] araneae@beehaw.org 28 points 1 week ago

I guess seeing her grandma wasn't as important to her as not telling the truth. How hurtful for her grandma. At least she won't have to greet any more genocide enactors.

[–] ZoDoneRightNow@kbin.earth 14 points 1 week ago

The bare fucking minimum so that the Australian government can argue that they aren’t complicit

[–] keepcarrot@hexbear.net 11 points 1 week ago

I'm pretty sure centrelink forms are routinely longer than 13 pages.