Australia Revokes Visa of Israeli Influencer Accused of Spreading Hatred

Australia has cancelled the visa of an Israeli social media influencer known for campaigning against Islam, saying the country will not allow visitors who seek to promote hatred.

Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said on Tuesday that “spreading hatred is not a good reason to come to Australia,” confirming the decision just hours after influencer Sammy Yahood revealed his visa had been revoked shortly before his scheduled departure from Israel.

Burke told the AFP news agency that anyone wishing to visit Australia must apply for the appropriate visa and travel for legitimate purposes.

Earlier the same day, Yahood posted comments on X claiming that Islam does not tolerate non-believers, women’s rights, children’s rights or LGBTQ+ rights. He also described Islam as a “disgusting ideology” and an “aggressor.”

The visa cancellation comes amid tighter hate-crime laws introduced by Australia earlier this month following a mass shooting at a Jewish gathering at Sydney’s Bondi Beach that left 15 people dead.

Yahood, a UK-born influencer who recently became an Israeli citizen, has also called for the deportation of US Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, a Somali-American Muslim, and mocked the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA).

Israel last week began bulldozing UNRWA’s headquarters in occupied East Jerusalem, a move condemned by the United Nations and Palestinian leaders, who said it signalled a “barbaric new era” of disregard for international law.