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A far-right Israeli politician has had his visa cancelled by Australian authorities ahead of a planned speaking tour.
Simcha Rothman was due to fly to Australia on Monday to attend events organised by the conservative Australian Jewish Association (AJA), but the group said his visa was cancelled at the last minute.
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke confirmed the visa cancellation in a statement.
“Our government takes a hard line on people who seek to come to our country and spread division,” he said.
“If you are coming to Australia to spread a message of hate and division, we don’t want you here.
“Under our government, Australia will be a country where everyone can be safe, and feel safe.”
In an interview earlier this year with Britain’s Channel 4 News, Rothman denied Palestinian children in Gaza were dying of hunger due to Israel’s limitations of food and aid.
When asked by a reporter why Israel won’t let Palestinian children flee to Israel, he replied: “Because they are our enemies.”
“They are our enemies and according to international treaties about refugees in the time of war, you don’t let them conquer your country with refugees.”
The AJA said all paperwork was filled out correctly and on time and the visa was approved, before the announcement today.
The group said Rothman was due to meet victims of antisemitism in Australia, visit targeted Jewish institutions, and address numerous Jewish schools and synagogues.
“This is a viciously antisemitic move from a government that is obsessed with targeting the Jewish community and Israel,” AJA chief executive Robert Gregory said in a statement.
The visa cancellation comes after a number of similar cancellations for both Israelis and Palestinians in the past year.
Burke last December rejected the visa of Ayelet Shaked, who was an Israeli government minister from 2015 to 2019, citing her past public comments about Palestinians. In June, the government cancelled the visa of pro-Israel activist Hillel Fuld, while this month, Home Affairs cancelled a visa for a Palestinian cookbook author, Mona Zahed, reportedly over social media posts about October 7.
Burke told Nine Newspapers earlier this year he was blocking visas for potentially divisive visitors at an unprecedented rate.
“I really don’t care about receiving criticisms on freedom of speech. Like, do not care,” Burke said.
“People who live here have rights to freedom of speech within Australia, [but] we get to choose if someone’s coming here with the intention of … inciting discord.”
