Who is Simcha Rothman, the Israeli MP barred from Australia?
The Religious Zionist party is a far-right nationalist party that advocates for strengthening Jewish religious identity in the region and the expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank – actions that Australia and most of the international community oppose because they are illegal under international law.
The Times of Israel reported in 2022 that the party had extracted concessions from Netanyahu in an agreement to form a governing coalition, including a vague commitment to annex the West Bank and legalise dozens of unauthorised settlements.
'The Jewish people have the exclusive and indisputable right to all parts of the Land of Israel,' the agreement states.
Netanyahu relies on the party to form government, dragging the broader coalition towards a right-wing party position.
The party's leader, Bezalel Smotrich, is one of two Israeli politicians under Australian sanctions for his advocacy for settler violence and the destruction of Gaza.
In its reasoning for rejecting Rothman's visa, the Home Affairs Department pointed to Smotrich's views, including his opposition to Palestinian statehood and denial of the existence of a Palestinian people.
Smotrich announced last week, following international momentum towards recognition of a Palestinian state, a long-delayed settlement that could divide the West Bank and cut it off from East Jerusalem would be restarted, a move his office said would 'bury' the idea of a Palestinian state.
Why did the Australian government cancel Rothman's visa?
Rothman had been invited to Australia by the Australian Jewish Association to attend events with Jewish groups and schools this month. His visa was granted on August 8, then cancelled 10 days later, before he had come to Australia.
The Department of Home Affairs outlined its decision in a document which referenced public comments from Rothman calling Gazan children 'enemies' of Israel, denying they were being starved, and claiming the idea of a two-state solution had 'poisoned the minds of the entire world' and was the 'first step toward the destruction of the State of Israel'.
The AJA said the visit was to foster communication between Israeli lawmakers and the Australian Jewish community.
But a department delegate who rescinded the visa said Rothman could use the events in Australia to promote his 'controversial views and ideologies, which may lead to fostering division in the community'.
'The use of platforms for inflammatory rhetoric can lead to increased hate crimes, radicalisation of individuals and heightened tensions in communities,' the delegate said in the document.
They said Rothman could put at risk the 'good order' of Australian society, specifically in the Islamic population.
What does Rothman plan to do now?
Rothman said he would not be deterred and would be a 'proud voice of the Jewish people heard wherever I am', labelling the Australian government's decision as antisemitic.
The AJA said it would host Rothman on Zoom instead so he could still speak to Jewish Australians.
'The Australian government's decision to deny me the opportunity to come and speak to my people, due to expressing simple and clear positions, is clear and blatant antisemitism that gives a boost to terrorism,' Rothman wrote in Hebrew on X.
'In the decision to deny the visa, the Australian home affairs minister claims that my presence and my words will have a serious impact on peace and the rule of law in Australia, meaning that the Islamist mob calling for the destruction of Israel on the streets of Sydney and Melbourne will not be happy about my presence.'
The ABC has reported Rothman insisted he was being blocked from entering Australia only because he said, 'Hamas is bad and Israel is good', and when asked to concede his views were at odds with Australia's foreign policy, said the government was afraid of open discourse about its policies.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Perth Now
an hour ago
- Perth Now
Kneecap band appears at UK court on terrorism charge
Hundreds of fans have turned out to support a member of Irish rap group Kneecap at a London court as he sought to throw out a terrorism charge for allegedly displaying a flag in support of Lebanese militia Hezbollah. Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, who was initially charged under the Anglicised name Liam O'Hanna and whose stage name is Mo Chara, is alleged to have waved the yellow flag of Hezbollah during a Kneecap gig in London on November 21, 2024. Ó hAnnaidh is accused of holding up the flag on stage while saying "Up Hamas, up Hezbollah". Kneecap have said the flag was thrown on stage during their performance. The 27-year-old was charged in May under the Terrorism Act, which makes it a criminal offence to display an article in a way which arouses reasonable suspicion that someone is a supporter of a proscribed organisation. Ó hAnnaidh appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Wednesday wearing the keffiyeh scarf associated with the Palestinian cause and had to fight his way through a scrum of photographers to get inside the building. He sat alongside an Irish language interpreter during the hearing and his bandmates Naoise Ó Cairealláin, stage name Móglaí Bap, and JJ Ó Dochartaigh, who goes by DJ Próvaí, were also in court, with supporters filling the public gallery. Irish music was played outside the court throughout the hearing, with many supporters waving Irish and Palestinian flags while others held placards reading "Free Mo Chara". Ó hAnnaidh's lawyers say the charge was brought too late and the prosecution case should be thrown out as Ó hAnnaidh was formally charged on May 22 this year, one day after the six-month limit for such charges. Prosecutor Michael Bisgrove, however, argued that Ó hAnnaidh was charged on May 21, within the time limit. Judge Paul Goldspring said he would give a decision on September 26. Ó hAnnaidh left the court to cheers from supporters, telling the crowd the charge against him was "a distraction from the real story" of Israel's actions in the Palestinian territories. Belfast-based Kneecap, who rap in Irish and English and regularly display pro-Palestinian messages during their gigs, previously said the charge was an attempt to silence them. The group – who rap about Irish identity and support the republican cause of uniting Northern Ireland with the Republic of Ireland – have been increasingly vocal about the war in the Gaza Strip since Ó hAnnaidh was charged. Kneecap led a 30,000-strong crowd at the Glastonbury Festival in June in chants against Prime Minister Keir Starmer and accused Israel of committing war crimes in its conflict with Hamas, an accusation Israel denies.
West Australian
an hour ago
- West Australian
Kneecap band appears at UK court on terrorism charge
Hundreds of fans have turned out to support a member of Irish rap group Kneecap at a London court as he sought to throw out a terrorism charge for allegedly displaying a flag in support of Lebanese militia Hezbollah. Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, who was initially charged under the Anglicised name Liam O'Hanna and whose stage name is Mo Chara, is alleged to have waved the yellow flag of Hezbollah during a Kneecap gig in London on November 21, 2024. Ó hAnnaidh is accused of holding up the flag on stage while saying "Up Hamas, up Hezbollah". Kneecap have said the flag was thrown on stage during their performance. The 27-year-old was charged in May under the Terrorism Act, which makes it a criminal offence to display an article in a way which arouses reasonable suspicion that someone is a supporter of a proscribed organisation. Ó hAnnaidh appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Wednesday wearing the keffiyeh scarf associated with the Palestinian cause and had to fight his way through a scrum of photographers to get inside the building. He sat alongside an Irish language interpreter during the hearing and his bandmates Naoise Ó Cairealláin, stage name Móglaí Bap, and JJ Ó Dochartaigh, who goes by DJ Próvaí, were also in court, with supporters filling the public gallery. Irish music was played outside the court throughout the hearing, with many supporters waving Irish and Palestinian flags while others held placards reading "Free Mo Chara". Ó hAnnaidh's lawyers say the charge was brought too late and the prosecution case should be thrown out as Ó hAnnaidh was formally charged on May 22 this year, one day after the six-month limit for such charges. Prosecutor Michael Bisgrove, however, argued that Ó hAnnaidh was charged on May 21, within the time limit. Judge Paul Goldspring said he would give a decision on September 26. Ó hAnnaidh left the court to cheers from supporters, telling the crowd the charge against him was "a distraction from the real story" of Israel's actions in the Palestinian territories. Belfast-based Kneecap, who rap in Irish and English and regularly display pro-Palestinian messages during their gigs, previously said the charge was an attempt to silence them. The group – who rap about Irish identity and support the republican cause of uniting Northern Ireland with the Republic of Ireland – have been increasingly vocal about the war in the Gaza Strip since Ó hAnnaidh was charged. Kneecap led a 30,000-strong crowd at the Glastonbury Festival in June in chants against Prime Minister Keir Starmer and accused Israel of committing war crimes in its conflict with Hamas, an accusation Israel denies.
7NEWS
3 hours ago
- 7NEWS
New $2 billion plan to shift kids with autism or development delays off NDIS could be ‘generational reform'
Children with autism who rely on the NDIS for support will be diverted to a new program, touted by disability groups as a 'once-in-a-generation' reform. Disability Minister Mark Butler used a speech at the National Press Club on Wednesday to say the NDIS was not the right fit for the growing number of children on the autism spectrum or with developmental delays. WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Government plans to shake up disability support for children. A separate program called Thriving Kids will be set up to focus on those children previously covered by the NDIS. It will begin rolling out from July 2026 and be fully implemented by July 2027. Children with autism on the NDIS would not be steered from the scheme until supports were fully rolled out, the minister said. 'I know this will be hard for some parents to hear and I don't say it lightly,' Butler said in the speech. 'We need as a matter of some urgency to create a better system that will enable our children to thrive. 'Diverting this group of kids over time from the NDIS is an important element of making the scheme sustainable and returning it to its original intent.' 'Once-in-a-generation change' Medicare items for occupational therapy, speech pathology and psychosocial therapy would be considered for the program, including a bulk-billed check-up for three-year-olds, Butler said. The federal government would start by making a $2 billion contribution, matched by states and territories. Early intervention strategies were key for ensuring children received the right support, Autism Awareness chief executive Nicole Rogerson said. '(Thriving Kids) potentially has the opportunity to be a once-in-a-generation change in how we look at developmental pediatrics,' she said. She said what Butler was doing was 'pretty rare for a politician' because he was 'owning what the problem is'. Rogerson told 7NEWS: 'The structural problem has become so big that children with any kind of developmental delay are now getting a label of autism, in order to get assistance from the NDIS and that's inflated the numbers.' Ensuring the program was in place before children were moved from the scheme was reassuring, People with Disability acting chief executive Megan Spindler-Smith said. 'That terrifies me' Since the announcement, many families have shared their concern. Australian mum Kaili Metani's daughters live with autism and she said the NDIS saved their lives. 'My youngest daughter was told when she was diagnosed that she would never walk or talk and it's only because of therapy that she is able to,' she told 7NEWS. She feared the new program, if not implemented correctly, would lead to a 'generation who are unsupported, and that terrifies me'. The minister said while one in 50 people had a significant disability which would be covered by the NDIS, one in five young children were on the autism spectrum or had a developmental delay. Parents had little choice but to put their children with autism on a scheme designed for permanent disability, Butler said. 'Families who were looking for additional supports in mainstream services can't find them because they largely don't exist anymore and in that, all governments have failed them,' he said. Butler said the changes would help to bring down the cost of the NDIS, with taxpayers set to fork out more than $52 billion for the scheme in 2025/26. Laws passed in 2024 put in place a cap on spending growth of eight per cent per year. 'Even under that scenario, the NDIS is still forecast to cost $105 billion and will increase its share of GDP by 0.5 per cent over the coming decade,' Butler said. 'That's the equivalent of growth in Medicare, defence and aged care spending combined — measured as a share of GDP.' The minister said the existing level of growth was unsustainable and a cap of between five and six per cent would be more effective. 'After we achieve our current target, a further wave of reform will be needed to get growth down to a more sustainable position,' he said. 'There's no significant change in disability prevalence in the community and the scheme is now fully rolled out. So growth should really reflect unit price inflation plus growth in Australia's population.' Autism peak body Aspect said families needed the right level of support. 'Given the number of autistic children we support through our schools and therapy programs, families must have confidence there will be continuity of supports, real choice and control, and no gaps during the transition,' chief executive Jacqui Borland said
