Latest news with #MonaZahed
Daily Telegraph
21 hours ago
- Politics
- Daily Telegraph
Immigration Minister hit with ‘gaslighting' claim after Mona Zahed debacle
Don't miss out on the headlines from Breaking News. Followed categories will be added to My News. The country's border chief has been accused of 'gaslighting' after downplaying concerns that immigration officials granted a visa to a Hamas sympathiser. Immigration Minister Tony Burke revealed on Sunday that Mona Zahed, who publicly supported Hamas' October 7 attacks on Israel in 2023, was granted a visa that she was ineligible for. Ms Zahed applied to come to Australia on an entertainment visa rather than a humanitarian option. Senior immigration officials noticed the error after they were alerted to social media posts Ms Zahed made celebrating the October 7 attacks. Due to the wrong visa type, Mr Burke said her application was cancelled 'before we even got to character grounds'. But 2GB host Ben Fordham on Monday blasted Mr Burke's explanation as 'tied up in a whole lot of spin to make it sound like everything's under control'. He told listeners that the minister 'tried to convince everyone that it was a giant misunderstanding'. Home Affairs and Immigration Minister Tony Burke has been accused of 'gaslighting'. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman 'Tony Burke is trying to say there's no problem here, but the problem is, Mr Burke's so-called checks and double-checks didn't stop Mona Zahed from being granted an Australian visa,' Fordham said. Citing reporting, including from NewsWire, Fordham said it did not matter that Ms Zahed was given the wrong visa, but that officials only learnt of her views because of media coverage. 'What is Tony Burke on?' he said. 'Mona Zahed was given an Australian visa – we don't care what type of visa it was. 'Her past support and praise of Hamas did not raise red flags when Australia was checking her application – she was given the visa. 'The only reason the (Department of Home Affairs) found out that there was an issue was because a story appeared in the Herald Sun newspaper in Melbourne. 'Nobody in authority had any idea, and now Tony Burke tries to reassure us that the system is safe because this woman filled out the wrong form. 'No, minister, you were ready to let her in.' As both home affairs and immigration minister, Mr Burke has oversight of Australia's security agencies and borders, making him one of the most powerful members of Anthony Albanese's cabinet. It also means he controls who enters Australia and is responsible for those vetting visitors. 'Unusual' In comments on Sunday, Mr Burke said Ms Zahed 'wasn't eligible for the visa that had been issued and the department administratively cancelled the visa', calling the application 'unusual'. 'This was someone from Gaza who was not going through the humanitarian visa process that we've got in place, or even for a visitor visa for that matter, but who'd applied on the entertainment stream, where the presumption of that visa is you are coming for a fixed tour, where the tickets are being sold, the dates are all in place, and your intention is then to return to the country you came from,' he told Sky News. 'Now, you can see a few reasons there why as soon as it was brought to … the attention of people more senior in the department, they looked at it and thought, 'Hang on, this individual is not eligible for this particular visa'.' As for the thousands of Palestinians who have been granted visas since the start of the war in Gaza, Mr Burke insisted all approved had been double-checked. He also said only 'about half the people … for whom visas had been issued ended up actually getting here' because of border closures. The figure is unclear, but human rights groups have put it at about 1300. Palestinian woman Mona Zahed thanked Allah after Hamas's October 7 attack on Israel in 2023. Picture: Facebook Ms Zahed's visa has been cancelled. Picture: Facebook 'We would have had something in the order of close to 1000 visas where people were trapped in Gaza,' Mr Burke said, adding that those stuck in Gaza had dropped to 'not too much more' than half of that. 'Now some of that will be that people decided they didn't want to come to Australia, some of it will be people (who) found another pathway out of Gaza, some of it will be that those people are no longer alive. 'There's a few different reasons for the reduction in numbers. 'Overwhelmingly now the people who are in that visa group, they had the initial check against the movement alert list. 'We've had (the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation) go through everybody on the list twice now, and so they are in fact the most highly checked cohort that we've ever had.' Mr Burke pointed out they 'are still in a situation where overwhelmingly, they're not able to leave'. Ms Zahed has been living in tents with her young family for much of the 22-month war in Gaza – a conflict triggered by Hamas' October 7 attacks. The militant group killed more than 1200 in the unprecedented assault, including whole families. Fighters took hundreds more hostage as they retreated into Gaza, where dozens remain captive. The Herald Sun revealed on Friday that Ms Zahed praised the attack on social media at the time. 'We woke up and got God's kingdom,' she wrote of the worst loss of Jewish life since the Holocaust. She made her visa application with the support of Melbourne artist Matt Chun, who claims to have raised tens of thousands of dollars to help Ms Zahed, her husband and four children make their way to Australia. Hamas is a listed terrorist organisation in Australia and the Albanese government has repeatedly condemned the October 7 attacks. Originally published as Immigration Minister hit with 'gaslighting' claim after Mona Zahed debacle
News.com.au
2 days ago
- Politics
- News.com.au
Rejected Hamas sympathiser applied for wrong visa, immigration minister says
A Hamas sympathiser in Gaza was given an Australian visa she was ineligible for, Anthony Albanese's border tsar has revealed. Palestinian woman Mona Zahed applied to come to Australia on a visa typically used for speaking tours rather than humanitarian options. Senior immigration officials noticed the error after they were alerted to social media posts Ms Zahed made celebrating Hamas' October 7 attacks on Israel in 2023. Due to the wrong visa type, Home Affairs and Immigration Minister Tony Burke said on Sunday that Ms Zahed's application was cancelled 'before we even got to character grounds'. 'Before we even got to the character grounds issue, she wasn't eligible for the visa that had been issued and the department administratively cancelled the visa,' Mr Burke told Sky News, calling the application 'unusual'. 'This was someone from Gaza who was not going through the humanitarian visa process that we've got in place, or even for a visitor visa for that matter, but who'd applied on the entertainment stream, where the presumption of that visa is you are coming for a fixed tour, where the tickets are being sold, the dates are all in place, and your intention is then to return to the country you came from. 'Now, you can see a few reasons there why as soon as it was brought to … the attention of people more senior in the department, they looked at it and thought, 'Hang on, this individual is not eligible for this particular visa.'' As for the thousands of Palestinians who have been granted visas since the start of the war in Gaza, Mr Burke insisted all approved had been double-checked. He also said only 'about half the people … for whom visas had been issued ended up actually getting here' because of border closures. The figure is unclear, but human rights groups have put it at about 1300. 'We would have had something in the order of close to 1000 visas where people were trapped in Gaza,' Mr Burke said, adding that those stuck in Gaza had dropped to 'not too much more' than half of that. 'Now some of that will be that people decided they didn't want to come to Australia, some of it will be people (who) found another pathway out of Gaza, some of it will be that those people are no longer alive. 'There's a few different reasons for the reduction in numbers. 'Overwhelmingly now the people who are in that visa group, they had the initial check against the movement alert list. 'We've had (the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation) go through everybody on the list twice now, and so they are in fact the most highly checked cohort that we've ever had.' Though, he pointed out they 'are still in a situation though, where overwhelmingly, they're not able to leave'. Ms Zahed has been living in tents with her young family for much of the 22-month war in Gaza – a conflict triggered by Hamas' October 7 attacks. The militant group killed more than 1200 in the unprecedented assault, including whole families. Fighters took hundreds more hostage as they retreated into Gaza, where dozens remain captive. The Herald Sun revealed on Friday that Ms Zahed praised the attack on social media at the time. 'We woke up and got God's kingdom,' she wrote of the worst loss of Jewish life since the Holocaust. She made her visa application with the support of Melbourne artist Matt Chun, who claims to have raised tens of thousands of dollars to help Ms Zahed, her husband and four children make their way to Australia. Hamas is a listed terrorist organisation in Australia and the Albanese government has repeatedly condemned the October 7 attacks.
Sky News AU
3 days ago
- Politics
- Sky News AU
Albanese government revokes visa for Hamas supporter
The Albanese government has revoked a visa it issued to a Palestinian woman who sympathised with Hamas on social media after the October 7 attacks. The Department of Home Affairs reversed its decision after news that Mona Zahed was granted entry to Australia sparked public backlash.
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Shock update on Palestinian mum granted Australian visa after she cheered on Hamas terrorist attack on Israel
The Albanese government has made a stunning backflip and cancelled the visa of a Palestinian woman who praised Hamas ' October 7 massacre, following claims of an 'immigration failure'. Mona Zahed, a chef and married mother-of-four who lives in Gaza, was initially granted a visa to come to Australia, despite Prime Minister Anthony Albanese welcoming a report calling for applicants with extremist views to be barred from entering. Ms Zahed celebrated the terrorist attacks that claimed 1,200 lives on October 7, 2023. 'We woke up and got God's kingdom,' she wrote the day after the worst massacre of Jews since the Holocaust, which also saw 251 people taken hostage by Hamas terrorists. In a now-deleted post, Ms Zahed shared a photo of terrified Nova music festivalgoers fleeing for their lives alongside an image of refugees fleeing the 'Nakba' or catastrophe in 1948, which established the state of Israel and saw the mass displacement of Palestinians. 'Praise be to Allah who has kept us alive to see this day,' Ms Zahed captioned the post, first reported by the Herald Sun. Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke confirmed to Daily Mail on Friday night that Ms Zahed's visa had been cancelled, following widespread condemnation 'The Department has advised the office that the visa was cancelled today – the reasons have been communicated directly to the applicant,' he said. It comes after Mr Burke's office earlier said that the government 'is serious' about keeping hatred out of Australia. 'This is a serious issue; the government is taking it seriously. Questions were put to the department as soon as the minister's office became aware,' a spokesperson said. 'The government is serious in its view about not importing hatred and we set a higher bar when the purpose of someone's visit is a speaking tour.' The decision to cancel Ms Zahed's visa has been welcomed by Jewish organisations, which also called on the government to shut down gaps in the visa approval process. 'We trust that the relevant processes will now be tightened to prevent this sort of error being repeated and ensure the government remains consistent in its approach to these matters,' Executive Council of Australian Jewry president Daniel Aghion said. Zionist Federation of Australia chief executive Alon Cassuto added: 'While it's welcome news the visa has been cancelled, the fact an individual who openly glorified terrorism online was granted a visa to enter Australia in the first place is a glaring sign that our visa approval system is failing. 'The government must act with urgency to close these visa approval gaps and ensure our nation is not a safe harbour for hatred.' Ms Zahed, who wrote a cookbook while living in a displacement tent in southern Gaza called Tabkha: Recipes from Under the Rubble, had been supported by Melbourne-based artist Matt Chun. Last month, Mr Chun revealed that his partner Tess Cullity, who published the cookbook, had been 'working alongside human rights lawyers to secure safe passage for Mona and her family from Gaza to Wurundjeri Land' (Melbourne). 'Finally, against all odds, Tess has visas approved.' The couple helped raise almost $29,000 for Ms Zahed and her family. The artist also celebrated the Hamas terrorist attacks, sharing a picture of the Palestinian flag with the title 'land back.' The caption read: 'Power to the freedom fighters. Death to the occupation. Resistance by any means necessary. Liberation from the River to the Sea.' It comes just weeks after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese welcomed a report from Jillian Segal, the government's special envoy to combat antisemitism, which recommended screening visa applicants for anti-Semitic views. Opposition Home Affairs spokesman Andrew Hastie lashed the Albanese government over the initial 'immigration failure' of approving Ms Zahed's visa. 'If you support Hamas, if you support the slaughter of innocent men and women, you're not welcome in this country,' he told Sky News. 'It's binary. We have standards in this country, and we don't want people who support terrorism on our shores.' The ensuing conflict triggered by the events of October 7 has so far claimed the lives of over 55,000 Palestinians, according to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry.
News.com.au
4 days ago
- Politics
- News.com.au
Tony Burke seeks answers after Hamas sympathiser granted visa
The country's border chief is seeking answers after revelations a Hamas sympathiser was granted an Australian visa. Palestinian woman Mona Zahed has been living in tents with her young family for much of the 22-month war in Gaza – a conflict triggered by Hamas' October 7 attacks on Israel in 2023. The militant group killed more than 1200 in the unprecedented assault, including entire families, and witnesses reported horrific instances of sexual violence. Fighters took hundreds more hostage as they retreated into Gaza, where dozens remain captive. The Herald Sun revealed on Friday that Ms Zahed praised the attack on social media at the time. 'We woke up and got God's kingdom,' she wrote of the worst loss of Jewish life since the Holocaust. She secured a visa with the support of Melbourne artist Matt Chun, who claims to have raised tens of thousands of dollars to help Ms Zahed, her husband and four children secure visas. Hamas is a listed terrorist organisation in Australia and the Albanese government has repeatedly condemned the October 7 attacks. A spokesperson for Home Affairs and Immigration Minister Tony Burke said the Albanese government 'is serious' about keeping hatred out of Australia. 'This is a serious issue, the government is taking it seriously. Questions were put to the department as soon as the minister's office became aware,' the spokesperson said. 'The government is serious in its view about not importing hatred and we set a higher bar when the purpose of someone's visit is a speaking tour.' Ms Zahed has not entered Australia. Mr Burke has faced criticism this week after revealing he had rejected dozens of visas to protect 'social cohesion', with the opposition calling on him to clarify what 'standard' he held applications to. Plans to occupy Gaza The response from Mr Burke's office is in line with Anthony Albanese's rhetoric on not bringing the war in Gaza to Australia. It is no small task, as many Australians have family affected on both sides. Nearly two years of fighting has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians and reduced most of Gaza to rubble. Israel's chokehold on aid getting into the war-ravaged territory has also caused fears of famine, local health officials reporting nearly 200 deaths from starvation. Foreign journalists are not allowed into Gaza to verify exact figures, but the reports tally with independent monitors and the situation has prompted a push from Israel's allies to recognise a Palestinian state. The Prime Minister has neither committed to nor ruled out doing so at the UN General Assembly next month. The Israeli government early on Friday (local time) confirmed it would go ahead with a full occupation of Gaza, as foreshadowed by Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday. 'The (Israel Defence Forces) will prepare to take control of Gaza City while providing humanitarian aid to the civilian population outside the combat zones,' the Israeli Prime Minister's office said in a statement. It said it also outlined conditions for 'ending the war'. The conditions include Hamas' disarmament, the return of all hostages, Gaza's demilitarisation with Israeli security control and a viable civilian government that is neither Hamas nor the Palestinian Authority. 'An absolute majority of cabinet ministers believed that the alternative plan presented to the cabinet would not achieve the defeat of Hamas or the return of the abductees,' the statement said.
