Latest news with #Fuld
Sky News AU
8 hours ago
- Politics
- Sky News AU
'Ridiculous excuse': Hillel Fuld speaks out after Labor cancels visa for Israeli influencer, citing risk of importing 'hatred'
Israeli influencer Hillel Fuld has broken his silence after having his visa cancelled by the Albanese government, hitting out at the "ridiculous excuse" Labor used to deny him entry to Australia. Mr Fuld's visa was quietly cancelled by the Department of Home Affairs last week, shortly before he was due to arrive in the country to take part in fundraising events hosted by Magen David Adom Australia - an offshoot of Israel's national emergency medical and blood service. In a letter outlining it's reasoning for the decision, the department noted multiple posts made by the Israeli influencer denying "documented atrocities in Gaza", as well as his repeated use of "Islamophobia rhetoric". Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke later confirmed the government had cancelled Mr Fuld's visa because: "Australians have a strong view that we don't want hatred from overseas brought here". However, in an exclusive interview with Sky News' Sharri Markson, the Israeli influencer, who also holds United States citizenship, hit back at the government's reasoning, describing the decision as "a whole different level of crazy". "Anybody who follows me online knows that my tweets are never violent or discriminatory," he said. "In fact, the tweet that they quoted first in this document was me denying that there was a massacre in Gaza last week, which we now know there wasn't. So again, it was accurate and something that I'm very, very careful about in terms of my reporting is to be accurate. "There's no Islamophobia in my tweets, there's not incitement, there is no racism of any kind. It really is just a ridiculous excuse to ban someone who has pro-Israel views." One of the posts cited by the department in its decision came after widespread reports emerged in March of Israeli soldiers in Gaza opening fire on starving Palestinians looking to access aid, leading to the deaths of more than 100 people. Mr Fuld dismissed the reports as "propaganda". "There was no massacre of Palestinians in Gaza today. Palestinians trampled each other as they fought for the aid that the IDF sent in," he said in a video posted to social media. Israel has denied accusations of a massacre and has claimed some troops fired shots into the air in order to control and disperse a crowd advancing toward them. Critics of the decision to ban Mr Fuld have argued his stance on the war in Gaza is irrelevant, highlighting his trip to Australia was to support a humanitarian cause. Warning the decision to ban anyone with pro-Israel views was a "dangerous, slippery slope", Mr Fuld defended his planned visit by explaining he had only planned to discuss Israeli technological innovation. "The topic of my of my talk wasn't even politics or anything to do with Gaza or anything like that," he said. "I was there to talk about how Israel and Israeli innovation is changing the world and making the world a better place. What's inflammatory about that?" Mr Fuld also noted his visa application was made using his US passport, which he suggested made the decision to deny him entry to the country even stranger. "This is an important point that not many people reported on, which is that I applied for my visa on my American passport. It's really absolutely nothing to do with the fact that I'm Israeli," he said. "So what they're doing is banning an American citizen from entering Australia, which is a whole different level of crazy." The Israeli influencer went on to say he had wanted to keep the incident private so it could be resolved behind the scenes, adding he did not want to "throw anyone under the bus as long as it's solved". However, he revealed discussions with the government had taken a shock turn, with an unnamed official demanding he limit his speech in Australia should the decision be overturned. "Now is the time to let the world know that this is pure anti-Semitism," he said. "If you need evidence to that effect, I'll just mention that, again, not something that many people have reported, but I did receive through a channel, not directly from an official in Australia who said to me: 'If we can reverse this, and I can't promise that we can, but if we can reverse this I need you to commit to not discussing your dead brother'. "Literally, that's what they told me: 'You could come, but you can't mention your brother who was murdered by an Arab kid', and I was like, are you kidding me right now?" Mr Fuld claimed the exchange was further evidence Australia was "jumping on the bandwagon of all the Jew hatred across the world", before warning the government it's reputation in Israel had been all but destroyed.
Sky News AU
a day ago
- Politics
- Sky News AU
US ambassador to Israel steps in after Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke banned Jewish-American speaker Hillel Fuld from Australia
The US ambassador to Israel has stepped in after Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke barred Israeli-American speaker Hillel Fuld from Australia, sparking an international diplomacy test for the Albanese government. The US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee has confronted Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke revoked the visa of Israeli-American speaker Hillel Fuld from Australia, sparking an international diplomacy test for the Albanese government. In a decision statement, Mr Burke cited 'islamophobia rhetoric' which risked inciting discord against Australia's Muslim population. The appeal to have the decision overturned came hours after the Australian Jewish Association (AJA) called on the Trump administration to intervene in what it called an 'attack' on Jewish Australians. Mr Fuld, who was set to speak at fundraising events in Sydney and Melbourne hosted by Magen David Adom, an Israeli national emergency service, confirmed he had been barred from Australia 'because of my tweets'. The Jewish American entrepreneur has more than 176,000 followers on X where he has posted extensively on the conflict between Israel and Hamas. In an email sent directly to the Home Affairs Minister, and obtained by The Australian, Mr Huckabee called Mr Fuld a 'highly respected' US-Israeli who was not a 'threat of any kind' to the nation that barred him. 'Mr Fuld is highly respected member in his community and well known in Israel. While he holds strong views against terrorism and the kind of massacre that occurred on October 7, he would pose no threat to the people of Australia by his actions or words,' Mr Huckabee wrote. 'I fully respect the decision to grant the visa is solely in your hands and you have a sovereign right to make the decision to deny entry to someone you consider a threat to national security (but) I do not feel Mr Fuld poses any threat of any kind. 'I would respectfully request … you would be willing to review his visa application and grant the opportunity to make his brief visit for the sake of the very important charity event for the humanitarian emergency medical service organisation.' — Hillel Fuld (@HilzFuld) June 8, 2025 In the report on the decision, the Home Affairs Minister said Mr Fuld had used social media to deny 'documented atrocities' and had the potential to use the speaking events to make more 'inflammatory statements'. Mr Burke seemed to stand by his decision and said he did not want to import 'hatred'. In a statement to the outlet, the Home Affairs Minister said Australians 'have a strong view that we don't want hatred from overseas brought here'. 'This power has been used repeatedly over many years by ministers. It is currently being tested in the High Court in the Candace Owens matter. Last term, there was bipartisan support for the use of this power. If that is no longer the case, Mr Hastie should say so,' he said. It came after shadow home affairs minister Andrew Hastie put out a statement on Sunday morning calling for Mr Burke to explain the cancellation of Mr Fuld's visa. "If there is a new political precedent in the standard for issuing entry visas to Australia, the Australian people should be informed as soon as possible," Mr Hastie said. Mr Fuld wrote on X on Monday morning and said there was a 'very low chance' the Albanese government would reverse the decision. 'Despite my appeal and diplomatic efforts at the highest possible levels, I have not heard anything back from the Australian government about them banning me from their country for three years,' Mr Fuld wrote. In a separate post, Mr Fuld said with the coverage continuing to ramp up, it was less likely Mr Burke and the Australian government would reconsider the decision. 'They don't want to seem like they're giving in to the pressure,' Mr Fuld wrote. On Sunday, Mr Fuld joked about whether he should add 'persona non grata' to his list of labels. On Monday, he added "Banned from Australia" to his X bio.
Sky News AU
2 days ago
- Politics
- Sky News AU
Israeli-American speaker Hillel Fuld responds after Albanese government revokes his visa claiming islamophobia
Israeli-American speaker Hillel Fuld has responded after Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke revoked his visa citing 'islamophobia rhetoric' which risked inciting discord against Muslim Australians. Israeli speaker and technology expert Hillel Fuld, born in New York, US, has responded after Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke revoked his visa citing 'islamophobia rhetoric' which risked inciting discord against Australia's Muslim population. Fuld, who was set to speak at fundraising events in Sydney and Melbourne hosted by Magen David Adom, an Israeli national emergency service, later in June, confirmed he had been barred from Australia 'because of my tweets'. The Jewish American entrepreneur has more than 176,000 followers on X where he has posted extensively on the conflict between Israel and Hamas. In one post on X, Fuld claimed up to 15 per cent of Muslims were 'radicalised' , that Islam was a 'global plague' and compared Gazans to Nazi-era Germans and should be 'treated as such'. In another post, Fuld said liberal western values can 'never coexist next to radical Islamic values'. In the report on the decision, the Home Affairs Minister said Fuld had used social media to deny 'documented atrocities' and had the potential to use the speaking events to make more 'inflammatory statements'. According to The Australian, the visa cancellation decision cited one Instagram post, made in a March 2024, in which Fuld dismissed as 'propaganda' reports by international media outlets that Israeli troops had opened fire on Palestinians seeking aid as 'propaganda'. 'This consideration is based on the fact that the visa holder has posted on social media and has made statements denying documented atrocities and Islamophobia rhetoric which has been received by members of the Australian community as inflammatory and concerning,' the decision paper read. 'The visa holder has the potential to use speaking events and other platforms while in Australia to continue making inflammatory statements which have the potential to incite discord. 'I consider there is a risk that those views will be adopted by members of the community and potentially increase the level of hatred against particular segments of the community, namely the Islamic population.' — Hillel Fuld (@HilzFuld) May 16, 2025 Fuld wrote on X following the decision and said he had returned from Jewish holidays to find it had become public information Australia had revoked his visa. 'Many people are working diplomatic channels so I kept it under wraps for now, but yes, it's true, Australia has banned my entry to the country because of my tweets,' he wrote. In his social media bio, Fuld defines himself as a 'proud Zionist', a tech columnist, advisor to Google and Microsoft, as well as a father of five. In his latest post to X, Fuld joked about whether he should add 'persona non grata' to his list of labels. The Australian Jewish Association released a statement on Saturday calling the decision an 'outrage' and 'attack' on Jewish Australians and the free speech rights of US citizens. 'Australia's Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke, who represents the electorate with the most Muslims cancelled the visa of Hillel Fuld, a Jewish man with American citizenship,' the AJA said. 'The Minister waited until late Friday afternoon once the Jewish Shabbat holiday had set in and over a public holiday long weekend. Hillel was supposed to arrive early next week. This same minister is responsible for importing thousands of Gazans to Australia without adequate security checks.' The AJA also called for the Trump administration to intervene to overturn the decision.
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Supreme Court appears poised to revive terror victims suit against Palestinian groups
The Supreme Court on Tuesday seemed likely to uphold a law allowing Americans injured by acts of terror in the Middle East to take Palestinian leadership groups to U.S. courts for damages. In 2019, Congress amended federal terrorism law to let victim lawsuits move forward against the Palestinian Authority (PA) and Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), responding to a series of court decisions that found the victim's families had no jurisdiction to sue. The high court is now being asked to determine whether the law violates due process protections by forcing the groups to consent to federal courts' authority. However, the justices also seemed sensitive to the level of deference owed to Congress and the White House since the case could have ramifications for national security and foreign affairs. Deputy Solicitor General Edwin Kneedler argued that Congress and the executive branch determined that finding the PLO and PA consented to jurisdiction in federal courts would prevent terrorism – and the courts should not override that assessment. He argued that both branches of U.S. government are owed 'virtually absolute deference.' Justice Brett Kavanaugh agreed that the two branches, in seeking to stop the 'recurring problem of terrorism,' reached the same conclusion to allow accountability in U.S. courts. The judiciary perhaps should not wade in when it only 'strikes us from our perch as unfair,' he said. 'Usually that's a very sensitive decision for a federal court to make,' Kavanaugh said. Kagan pressed the government over its reluctance still to assert that 'anything Congress says goes.' She asked if the executive branch feared potential foreign policy ramifications, such as other countries being encouraged to treat U.S. citizens the same way. 'There could well be,' Kneedler said, though he indicated that he could not represent it as a reason to side with the government. The justices heard oral arguments Tuesday in two consolidated cases: one DOJ appeal and an appeal by the family of Ari Fuld, an Israeli American fatally stabbed at a shopping mall in the West Bank in 2018. Fuld's case garnered bipartisan support, with House leadership from both parties, including Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), authorizing a friend-of-the-court brief. Another bipartisan group of lawmakers also filed an amicus brief. The Biden administration initially intervened in Fuld's case and another brought by 11 American families who originally sued the Palestinian leadership groups two decades ago for several attacks in Israel, winning more than $650 million in a 2015 trial. In urging the justices not to remand the lawsuit, which would drag out litigation longer in lower courts, Kent Yalowitz, a lawyer for Fuld's family, quipped that the case is at this point old enough to go to law school. Despite acknowledging that across-the-aisle support, Kavanaugh questioned when, if ever, the courts would have footing to step in. 'I'm wondering when the great deference runs out,' he asked. 'We don't think it would,' Kneedler replied. The government argued that Congress's determination to make the PA and PLO open to U.S. civil suits only if the groups made payments to representatives of terrorists who injured or killed Americans or maintained a certain presence in the country left the groups with a choice. 'Respondents had an opportunity to stop,' Kneedler said. It's not clear how far the justices' support for the government and Fuld's family might go. They appeared split on the legal test to apply to their decision-making regarding due process. Mitchell Berger, a lawyer for the PA and PLO, asked the justices to affirm the lower court's ruling tossing out the lawsuits, contending that personal jurisdiction is 'over and above' what Congress can prescribe. The 2nd U.S. Court of Appeals found the law denied the groups a fair legal process. He raised pirates as an example drawn from history. While piracy has been illegal since the nation's founding, 'no one' thought Congress would allow pirates to be tried in the U.S. without being present there, he said. 'That's never been the law,' Berger said. In legal filings, the groups said courts have never agreed with the 'bold positions staked out by' the government and other plaintiffs — and that the Supreme Court should not now. A decision is expected this summer. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
01-04-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
Supreme Court appears poised to revive terror victims suit against Palestinian groups
The Supreme Court on Tuesday seemed likely to uphold a law allowing Americans injured by acts of terror in the Middle East to take Palestinian leadership groups to U.S. courts for damages. In 2019, Congress amended federal terrorism law to let victim lawsuits move forward against the Palestinian Authority (PA) and Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), responding to a series of court decisions that found the victim's families had no jurisdiction to sue. The high court is now being asked to determine whether the law violates due process protections by forcing the groups to consent to federal courts' authority. However, the justices also seemed sensitive to the level of deference owed to Congress and the White House since the case could have ramifications for national security and foreign affairs. Deputy Solicitor General Edwin Kneedler argued that Congress and the executive branch determined that finding the PLO and PA consented to jurisdiction in federal courts would prevent terrorism – and the courts should not override that assessment. He argued that both branches of U.S. government are owed 'virtually absolute deference.' Justice Brett Kavanaugh agreed that the two branches, in seeking to stop the 'recurring problem of terrorism,' reached the same conclusion to allow accountability in U.S. courts. The judiciary perhaps should not wade in when it only 'strikes us from our perch as unfair,' he said. 'Usually that's a very sensitive decision for a federal court to make,' Kavanaugh said. Kagan pressed the government over its reluctance still to assert that 'anything Congress says goes.' She asked if the executive branch feared potential foreign policy ramifications, such as other countries being encouraged to treat U.S. citizens the same way. 'There could well be,' Kneedler said, though he indicated that he could not represent it as a reason to side with the government. The justices heard oral arguments Tuesday in two consolidated cases: one DOJ appeal and an appeal by the family of Ari Fuld, an Israeli American fatally stabbed at a shopping mall in the West Bank in 2018. Fuld's case garnered bipartisan support, with House leadership from both parties, including Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), authorizing a friend-of-the-court brief. Another bipartisan group of lawmakers also filed an amicus brief. The Biden administration initially intervened in Fuld's case and another brought by 11 American families who originally sued the Palestinian leadership groups two decades ago for several attacks in Israel, winning more than $650 million in a 2015 trial. In urging the justices not to remand the lawsuit, which would drag out litigation longer in lower courts, Kent Yalowitz, a lawyer for Fuld's family, quipped that the case is at this point old enough to go to law school. Despite acknowledging that across-the-aisle support, Kavanaugh questioned when, if ever, the courts would have footing to step in. 'I'm wondering when the great deference runs out,' he asked. 'We don't think it would,' Kneedler replied. The government argued that Congress's determination to make the PA and PLO open to U.S. civil suits only if the groups made payments to representatives of terrorists who injured or killed Americans or maintained a certain presence in the country left the groups with a choice. 'Respondents had an opportunity to stop,' Kneedler said. It's not clear how far the justices' support for the government and Fuld's family might go. They appeared split on the legal test to apply to their decision-making regarding due process. Mitchell Berger, a lawyer for the PA and PLO, asked the justices to affirm the lower court's ruling tossing out the lawsuits, contending that personal jurisdiction is 'over and above' what Congress can prescribe. The 2 nd U.S. Court of Appeals found the law denied the groups a fair legal process. He raised pirates as an example drawn from history. While piracy has been illegal since the nation's founding, 'no one' thought Congress would allow pirates to be tried in the U.S. without being present there, he said. 'That's never been the law,' Berger said. In legal filings, the groups said courts have never agreed with the 'bold positions staked out by' the government and other plaintiffs — and that the Supreme Court should not now.
