Pacific Media Watch
Australia has canceled the visa of an Israeli influencer over his controversial verbal attacks against Islam, report news media.
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke cancelled the visa of Sammy Yahood hours before his flight to Australia, according to Sky News.
He was scheduled to visit Australia and speak at major events in Sydney and Melbourne.
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However, the Australian government cancelled his visa over his controversial remarks against Islam, saying it would not accept visitors who come to “spread hatred”.
Yahood flew to Abu Dhabi anyway, but was blocked from getting his connecting flight.
Australia tightened its hate crime laws this month in response to a December 14 mass shooting on a Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach that killed 15 people.
Yahood’s visa was reportedly cancelled under the same legislation that has been used in the past to reject people’s visas on hatred grounds.
“Islamophobic rhetoric”
The conservative Australian Jewish Association, which had invited the influencer to speak, said it “strongly condemned” the visa decision by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s government.
The Australian government previously revoked the visa of Israeli tech entrepreneur Hillel Fuld in June last year over “Islamophobic rhetoric”.
In August, Canberra also cancelled the visa of far-right Israeli politician Simcha Rothman, who supported plans to remove Palestinians from Gaza and called Palestinian children Israel’s “enemies”.
This content originally appeared on Asia Pacific Report and was authored by Pacific Media Watch.
Pacific Media Watch | Radio Free (2026-01-27T02:30:25+00:00) Australia cancels visa of Israeli influencer over ‘hate speech’ against Islam. Retrieved from https://www.radiofree.org/2026/01/27/australia-cancels-visa-of-israeli-influencer-over-hate-speech-against-islam/
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