Australia Bars Israeli Lawmaker Simcha Rothman, Claiming His Visit Would ‘Spread Division’
Australia has cancelled the visa of Religious Zionism MK Simcha Rothman, blocking him just days before planned speaking engagements at Jewish schools, synagogues, and community events, officials confirmed Sunday.
Australian Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said the government will not admit visitors it believes may inflame tensions. “Our government takes a hard line on people who seek to come to our country and spread division,” Burke said. The visa cancellation bars Rothman from reapplying to enter the country for three years.
Rothman, who chairs the Knesset’s Constitution, Law and Justice committee, is a key figure in the government’s judicial overhaul effort. He had been invited by the Australian Jewish Association (AJA) to meet community members following a recent surge in antisemitic attacks.
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“This is a viciously antisemitic move from a government that is obsessed with targeting the Jewish community and Israel,” AJA president Robert Gregory said in response. Gregory urged Jews to think carefully before visiting Australia and said many Australian Jews are now considering emigration.
In his own statement, Rothman accused Australia of bowing to hostile pressure. “The Australian government’s decision to deny me the opportunity to come and speak to my people … is clear and blatant antisemitism that gives a boost to terrorism,” he wrote.
The Guardian reported that comments Rothman previously made abroad about Palestinians—saying Britain should let them “run away” from Gaza rather than “aid and abet a terrorist organization”—were among the reasons cited for the ban.
The move comes days after Australia announced it will recognize a Palestinian state at the United Nations next month, further straining ties with Jerusalem.
In June, Australia denied entry to pro-Israel activist and influencer Hillel Fuld, with Burke’s office saying his presence posed a risk to “health, safety or good order.” The previous year, former justice minister Ayelet Shaked was also barred on similar grounds.
