Australian Government Bars Israeli Influencer Over Hate Speech Allegations

Canberra, MINA – Australia has cancelled the visa of an Israeli social media influencer accused of spreading hatred and Islamophobic content, saying the country will not accept visitors who seek to promote intolerance.

According to Al Jazeera on Tuesday, Australian Minister for Home Affairs Tony Burke said on Tuesday that spreading hatred was not a valid reason to enter Australia. His statement came hours after influencer Sammy Yahood announced that his visa had been revoked just three hours before his scheduled departure from Israel.

“People who want to visit Australia should apply for the correct visa and come for the right reasons,” Burke said in a statement.

Yahood, who is known for posting anti-Islam content online, had recently written on X that Islam does not tolerate non-believers, women’s rights, children’s rights, or gay rights. He also described Islam as a “disgusting ideology” and an “aggressor”.

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Australia has recently tightened its hate crime laws following a deadly mass shooting at a Jewish celebration in Sydney’s Bondi Beach earlier this month, which left 15 people dead. The government said the updated laws are part of broader efforts to prevent the spread of hate and extremism.

Yahood, a native of the United Kingdom who recently became an Israeli citizen, has also called for the deportation of US Representative Ilhan Omar and mocked the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) in several online posts.

Despite the cancellation of his Australian visa, Yahood said he flew from Israel to Abu Dhabi but was prevented from boarding his connecting flight to Melbourne. He claimed the decision amounted to censorship and said he would take legal action.

Australian media reported that Yahood’s visa was cancelled under legislation previously used to deny entry to individuals accused of disseminating hatred. In past cases, the same law was applied to revoke visas of other Israeli figures over concerns their presence could spread division.

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The conservative Australian Jewish Association, which had invited Yahood to speak at events in Sydney and Melbourne, strongly criticised the decision by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s government.[]

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)

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