In The Aftermath Of The Former Israeli Army Allegedly Managing Vila In Bali, Minister Of Imipas Promises Foreigners Will Be Brought Under Control

JAKARTA - Minister of Immigration and Corrections (Imipas) Agus Andrianto said his party would bring order to all foreign nationals (WNA) who control land in Bali.

This is the aftermath of allegations of a former Israeli soldier managing a number of luxury villas in Bali and becoming a topic of conversation on social media.

"Yesterday, Tuesday, we held a Patrol Task Force there with the Regional Leadership Communication Forum (Forkopimda) in Bali. The goal is to bring order to foreign nationals who are there," said Agus at DKI Jakarta City Hall, Thursday, August 7.

However, Agus emphasized that the task force deployed in Bali does not only focus on solving the problem of managing villas by Israeli citizens.

"Not focusing on Israeli citizens, but on foreigners in Bali so that domestic and foreign tourists feel comfortable in Bali," he said.

From surveillance operations carried out in Bali some time ago, the Immigration Office managed to secure around 100 foreign nationals (WNA). However, Agus has not explained in detail what violations were found from the foreigners.

The two foreigners from Israel in question consist of a man and a woman. One of them is said to be Shachar Gornen, who is known on social media as content creator and trailer.

Based on netizens' search, Gornen was active in managing the Instagram account @gonenvillasbali, which previously routinely promoted luxury villas in tropical-modern style in Bali. However, when this news was written, the account had been locked (private), without uploads or followers. The same thing happened to Shachar Gornen's personal account, which is now also limited in access.

Even so, several screenshots and footage of Gornen uploads featuring exclusive villas can still be found through Google searches.

According to information circulating but not confirmed by Immigration, Gornen was able to enter Indonesia because he was registered as a German citizen. With this status, he is suspected of obtaining a Kitas Investor which is valid until March 2026, under the auspices of one of the local companies as a guarantor. In Bali, he reportedly settled in the Perrenan area, Mengwi, Badung Regency.

When inaugurating the Immigration Patrol Task Force in Bali, last Tuesday, Agus emphasized that the task force was formed in order to provide a quick response in the event of a violation, suppress violations of regulations by foreigners in Bali, and to bring a sense of security to the community.

"The establishment of the Immigration Patrol Task Force is a follow-up to the President's directive to ensure stability and security in Bali as one of Indonesia's main tourist destinations," Agus explained at Benoa Harbor, Denpasar, Tuesday, August 5.

To ensure that patrols run effectively, the Task Force will involve 100 immigration officers, each personnel will be equipped with a safety vest and body camera.

Officers will patrol using motorbikes or immigration patrol cars, at 10 strategic locations located in the work area of the Ngurah Rai and Denpasar Immigration Offices, including: North Kuta (Canggu); Seminyak, Kerobokan; Matahari Terbit and Benoa Ports; Pecatu (Uluwatu, Banin); Mertasari Beach; Kuta and Gianyar (Ubud) Districts; and Nusa Dua, Jimbaran.