Israel has announced a ban on entry for 28 Turkish figures accused of antisemitism, including Bilal Erdoğan, a businessman and President Tayyip Erdoğan’s son.
The Diaspora Affairs Ministry and Fight Against Antisemitism’s Director General, Avi Cohen-Scali, acted on Section 2(d) of Amendment No. 40 to the Entry into Israel Law, 5785 (2025).
Cohen-Scali has sent a letter to Amnon Shmueli, Acting Director General of the Population and Immigration Authority, to flag Turkish figures “involved in the glorification of violence.”
The individuals listed in Cohen-Scali’s letter include religious figures, journalists, academics, content creators, opinion leaders, and senior officials in public bodies.
Among them are Fehmi Bülent Yıldırım, president of the IHH – an NGO Israel blames for the Mavi Marmara incident – and Dr. Ali Erbaş, the head of Turkey’s Directorate of Religious Affairs.
The Israeli government stated that the activities of the 28 Turkish personalities “go beyond legitimate political expression and are characterized by systematic calls for boycotts.”
They are accused of promotion of violence, justification of harm to civilians, and the dissemination of content with antisemitic, anti-Zionist, and anti-Israeli characteristics.
Avi Cohen-Scali said the ban targets people who act consistently and publicly to encourage “boycotts, delegitimization, and incitement against the State of Israel, inflame hatred and incitement.”
Amichai Chikli, Minister for Diaspora Affairs and the Fight Against Antisemitism, declared that those working to harm Israel and undermine its sovereignty “will not be allowed to enter its territory.”
The ministry said attempts to weaken Israel’s resilience are viewed with “utmost seriousness” and vowed to continue to monitor and counter elements that advocate violence and hatred against the State.
