MK Simcha Rothman, the Chairman of the Knesset Constitution Committee, was denied entry into Australia on Monday, ahead of an upcoming 'solidarity tour'.
Australia's Home Affairs minister Tony Burke confirmed on Monday that Rothman’s visa application had been rejected, and that he would not be able to apply again for three years, a Guardian report said.
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His visa, which was approved approximately two weeks ago, was cancelled ahead of his flight to Australia.
The far-right lawmaker and member of the Religious Zionist party was scheduled to appear at two public events in Sydney and Melbourne this month, as well as two private events.
“Our government takes a hard line on people who seek to come to our country and spread division,” Burke said in a statement.
“If you are coming to Australia to spread a message of hate and division, we don’t want you here ... Under our government, Australia will be a country where everyone can be safe, and feel safe,” he added.
Australian Jewish Association (AJA) CEO Robert Gregory condemned the visa cancellation as “a viciously antisemitic move”, stating that the purpose of Rothman's visit was to “show solidarity with Australia’s Jewish community, which is facing a wave of antisemitism”, as per an online statement.
Rothman is a senior member of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ruling coalition. It is also important to note that the leader of Rothman's party is Bezalel Smotrich—who had been sanctioned by Australian PM Anthony Albanese's government in June—alongside Tel Aviv's national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir.