Australia has barred Israeli politician Simcha Rothman from visiting a local Jewish community beset by antisemitism, citing the fact that he states publicly he wants Israel to win its war against Hamas terrorists.
The decision by Anthony Albanese’s government does not (and could not) cite any inflammatory remarks by Rothman, who is not seen within Israel as a firebrand, though he is part of a right-wing political party.
Rothman was to have visited with Jews in Australia, who have been under siege recently due to a wave of antisemitism driven by Muslim immigrants and tolerated by Australia’s Labor Party government.
In June, Australia canceled the visit of pro-Israel activist Hillel Fuld because of supposed “Islamophobia.” The government had initially approved Rothman’s visit before denying it on the day he was due to travel.
The Australian government is among those that have rushed to declare their support for a Palestinian state.
Protesters hold up a picture of Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese during a pro-Palestinian rally in Sydney, Australia, Saturday, Nov. 4, 2023, in support of Palestinians caught up in the war between Israel and Hamas. (AP Photo/Mark Baker)
According to reports, the specific reasons given for barring Rothman include supporting the war against Hamas, backing Israeli territorial claims, and refusing to admit fault in the war that began with Hamas terror:
Among the list of statements cited was taken from the [Jerusalem] Post’s report in September 2024, in which Rothman said, “We will continue to strike at the enemy and fight the terror that surrounds us relentlessly in order to protect and defend the security of the citizens of the State of Israel,” at the Law Faculty of the University of California’s Berkeley campus.
The government’s assessment concluded that Rothman’s statements “mirror the policies of his Religious Zionist Party, including the elimination of Hamas and the expansion and sovereignty of the Israeli State, and denial of any wrongdoing by Israel against Palestinians and Gaza during the current conflict.”
Legal and constitutional experts called for retaliation against Australian organizations helping Gazans:
Rothman accused the Australian government of “surrendering to terror,” noting that it had responded to the prospect of Islamist disruptions of free speech by banning the free speech instead of protecting public order.
Leaders of the Australian Jewish community said that the government’s decision would encourage Jews to consider leaving the country, as it was not prepared to protect their security and their basic civil liberties.
The ban on Rothman highlighted precisely the problem facing Australia’s Jews: even when they attempt to show solidarity in the face of antisemitic attacks, they are forbidden from doing so by their own government.
Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News and the host of Breitbart News Sunday on Sirius XM Patriot on Sunday evenings from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET (4 p.m. to 7 p.m. PT). He is the author of The Zionist Conspiracy Wants You, now available on Amazon. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.
