A few days before a planned speech, the Australian government revoked the visa of Israeli politician Simcha Rothman. Rothman is a member of the far-right Religious Zionist Party.
Who is Simcha Rothman and what are his views?
Simcha Rothman's party is one of the coalition parties in the cabinet of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Rothman has previously spoken out in favour of expelling Palestinians from Gaza. He also denied that people in Gaza are suffering from hunger because of the war and the Israeli blockade. In May of this year, he said on British television that the United Kingdom should allow the inhabitants of Gaza to flee the area. Otherwise, this would help terrorists because they would use the inhabitants of Gaza as human shields. On the other hand, he argues that Israel should not take in refugees from Gaza because they would be ‘their enemies’. According to Rothman, Israel should not allow refugees to take over their country in times of war.
Where was Rothman expected in Australia?
The Israeli politician was expected to attend several events organised by the Australian Jewish Association (AJA) in Sydney. However, Simcha Rothman's visa was unexpectedly revoked by the Australian government. In addition, Rothman is not allowed to travel to Australia for the next three years. The immigration service has the right to impose an entry ban in addition to rejecting the visa. This depends on the reasons for the rejection.
What does the Australian government say about this?
Tony Burke, Minister for Home Affairs, stated that Australia would not welcome anyone who came to spread polarisation and hatred. Burke said that his government would take tough action against people who wanted to come to Australia to sow hate and polarisation. Under their government, he said, Australia would always be a country where everyone was and felt safe.
What was Rothman's response?
The Israeli politician reacted angrily to the rejection of his visa. He wrote on social media that there were ‘Islamist mobs’ in the streets of Sydney and Melbourne who were unhappy with his arrival. He is also convinced that anti-Semitic attacks on synagogues would take place in Australia and that a growing sense of exclusion and aggression towards the Jewish community is emerging.
What is the context of this conflict?
In June, the Australian government, together with several other countries, imposed sanctions on several far-right members of the Israeli government, such as Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich. They are accused of inciting violence against Palestinians in the West Bank.
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