Gaza Debate: ASIO Chief Clarifies Distorted Comments on Visa Vetting

Published on September 3, 2024

After his name and Gaza became focal points in Parliament discussions, mentioned daily by both the opposition and the ruling Labor party, Australia’s spy chief finally spoke up, stating that his comments on the vetting process for Palestinians fleeing Gaza had been misinterpreted. “I’ve watched with interest over the last couple of weeks how people have chosen to distort what I said,” Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) Director-General Mike Burgess told ABC News on Sept. 3. Last month, Burgess, in an interview, said if people escaping the conflict expressed “just rhetorical support” for the listed terror group Hamas but didn’t have an ideology or back a violent ideology, they wouldn’t automatically be barred from entering Australia....

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