In the name of social cohesion – except for Jews
On Friday, the Australian government cancelled the visa of American-Israeli tech entrepreneur, Hillel Fuld. It did it quietly, right before Shabbat, ahead of a public holiday long weekend, a few days before he was due to come here as a guest of Magen David Adom. The purpose of his visit – to speak at functions that would raise funds for an ambulance station in the south. His visa was cancelled due to concerns that he might pose a threat to “the health, safety or good order of Australians”.
This is not the first time the Australian government has prevented an Israeli with views they don’t like from entering the country. Late last year, former Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked was refused a visa to Australia, for fears it would “undermine social cohesion”. A former minister in a democratic state, a supposed ally of Australia, was refused a visa because her views didn’t align with the policy position our government has taken.
Social cohesion is part of the Australian ethos, except, it seems, when it comes to Jews.
Where was the protection of our social cohesion when weekly protests were allowed to take over the streets of Melbourne, with people calling for Israel to be eradicated, chants of “from the river to the sea” echoing throughout the CBD? Where was the social cohesion when police authorized a pro-Palestinian mob to gather outside a Melbourne synagogue on Shabbat a month after October 7th, forcing the Jews inside to evacuate to the screams of Allahu Akhbar. Where was the social cohesion at Sydney University in April last year, where a school holiday activity, held by a rabidly antisemitic lecturer, taught children to chant “from the river to the sea” and call for Intifada?
In December last year, pro-Palestinian protestors targeted an event at the Great Synagogue in Sydney, forcing those inside into lockdown, while yelling for the eradication of Israel. Last month, Sydney University’s solution to a pro-Palestinian encampment’s threats of violence and intimidation against Jewish students was to provide a separate entrance for them to write exams. Again, one asks, where was the social cohesion?
In 2024, Khaled Beydoun, an Islamic studies professor in Arizona, was granted a visa to Australia. Before a crowd of supporters at a Sydney mosque, he praised October 7th as a “day of celebration”. His visa was later revoked, only after he had spread his hate, and left the country, yet it begs the question why he was granted one in the first place, after having repeatedly made speeches about Zionists controlling the media and academic institutions in years prior to his visit.
A month after October 7th, Francesca Albanese, United Nations Special Rapporteur on Palestine, was warmly welcomed to Australia by the Australian government. A well-known antisemite and supporter of Hamas, her words have spread hatred and perpetuated Holocaust and October 7th distortions and lies.
In October 2024, after the government failed to take action against an Islamic preacher in Sydney, who referred to Jews as “vile” and “treacherous” and frequently made antisemitic comments in his sermons, the Executive Council of Australian Jewry launched legal action against the preacher and his religious centre, alleging he had contravened the Racial Discrimination Act. That it came to this, the ECAJ having to take matters into its own hands, was a direct consequence of the government’s inaction and failure to stand up for Jews in this country.
The rhetoric against Jews that has been allowed to fester is testament to the double standard that applies to us. This kind of hate speech would be condemned and prosecuted immediately if it was against any other minority or religious group. The lack of action by our government and academic bodies reinforces the message that we are fair game, that clothing antisemitism as anti-Zionism is somehow legitimate protest, and that the views of those who defend Israel are dangerous to the social cohesion of Australia’s citizens.
Unlike many of the armchair experts who use their platforms to comment on Israel and the war, Hillel Fuld’s views were shaped by his own lived experience, when his brother Ari was murdered by a terrorist, who was later released in a prisoner exchange as part of a recent hostage deal. He has travelled to and spoken in numerous countries, without them deeming him a risk to their security or social cohesion. Yet Australia has decided that he poses an unacceptable threat, banning him for 3 years. Even if you don’t agree with Hillel Fuld’s views, cancelling his visa on the basis of protecting Australians sends a message to Jews that the rules are different for us.
