Australian government cancels visa of Israeli social media influencer

Australian Government Cancels Visa of Israeli Social Media Influencer

The Australian government has cancelled the visa of an Israeli social media influencer, Sammy Yahood, who had campaigned against Islam online. The decision was made under legislation that prohibits individuals from entering Australia if they are deemed to be spreading hatred.

According to a statement released by Minister for Home Affairs Tony Burke, “spreading hatred is not a good reason to come” to Australia. People seeking to visit the country must apply for the correct visa and do so for legitimate purposes.

Yahood had recently posted on X that Islam does not tolerate non-believers, apostates, women’s rights, children’s rights, or gay rights. He also referred to Islam as a “disgusting ideology” and an “aggressor”. The influencer had previously advocated for the deportation of US Representative Ilhan Omar, a Somali-American Muslim.

The cancellation of Yahood’s visa comes after Australia tightened its hate crime laws in response to a mass shooting at a Jewish celebration in Sydney. Israel has also taken action against the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, which is responsible for coordinating relief efforts in several countries.

Yahood had planned to travel from Israel to Abu Dhabi before being blocked from his connecting flight to Melbourne. He claimed that he was “unlawfully banned” from Australia and vowed to take action. The decision to cancel Yahood’s visa has been met with criticism from the conservative Australian Jewish Association, which had invited him to speak at events in Sydney and Melbourne.

The Australian government has stated that it will not accept visitors who come to spread hatred.

Source: Al Jazeera