Controversial pro-Israel influencer blocked from Australia for anti-Islam posts
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Late last month, the Australian government canceled the travel visa of outspoken Jewish influencer Sammy Yahood over anti-Islamic comments posted on social media; critics say this is the latest example of targeting pro-Israel voices by authorities.
In an Instagram postYahood claimed the Australian government “called the UAE” to make sure he couldn’t get on a flight to Melbourne.
He said he booked his trip via the United Arab Emirates three days before the terror attack on Bondi Beach, which killed 15 people gathered for the beachside Hannukah celebration. He said he hoped his visit would give the Jewish community “some hope for the future” in the wake of the tragedy.
ISRAELI SPY CHAIR SAYS ISIS AND IRAN ARE INCREASING THEIR GLOBAL CAMPAIGN AGAINST JEWS
Rabbi Yossi Friedman speaks to people gathered at the floral memorial next to the Bondi Pavilion in Bondi Beach on Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025, following Sunday’s shooting in Sydney, Australia. (Mark Baker/AP Photo)
According to the Guardian newspaper, Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke said regarding the visa cancellation that “spreading hate is not a good reason to come to Australia”. Controversial influencer Yahood has called for Islam to be banned on social media, saying “it’s time to stop being tolerant of those who are not tolerant of us.”
Avi Yemini, chief correspondent for Rebel News Online in Australia, told Fox News Digital that Yahood “is the latest name in a growing list of Jews banned from entering Australia not because they pose a real security threat, but because this government is pandering to a particular voting bloc.”
“Only one Islamist extremist has been stopped under this government. This imbalance in the wake of the Bondi terror attack tells you everything you need to know about their priorities,” Yemini said.
According to the Herald Sun newspaper, the Australian government blocked the visa of Lebanese preacher Hussain Makke in March 2025. Makke had planned to speak in Melbourne and Sydney during Ramadan. His visa was canceled after he attended the funeral of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, whom he described as “the greatest freedom fighter”.
Fox News Digital also revealed that the government in August 2025 blocked the travel of a Palestinian cookbook author who publicly expressed support for Hamas’ October 7 massacre, the Sydney Morning Herald reported. SBS reported that a 61-year-old Palestinian woman’s visa was canceled while she was in Australia in July 2025.
OFFICIALS WERE WARNING AUSTRALIA MONTHS AGO ABOUT IRAN-LINKED TERRORIST ACTIVITIES BEFORE THE BONDI ATTACK.
A member of the Jewish community seized an item from the Adass Israel Synagogue in Melbourne, Australia, on December 06, 2024. An arson attack on the Adass Israel Synagogue in Melbourne in the early hours of Friday morning forced the congregation to flee as flames engulfed the building. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese condemned the incident as an anti-Semitic act and stressed that such violence at a place of worship was unacceptable in Australia. (Photo: Asanka Ratnayake/Getty Images) (Asanka Ratnayake/Getty Images)
The flight of three other Israelis was also canceled by the Australian government after October 7, 2023. In June last year, prominent pro-Israel activist Hillel Fuld’s visa was suspended. Fuld’s brother was killed in a terrorist attack in Jerusalem in 2018.
Times of Israel A letter sent to Fuld from the Ministry of Internal Affairs claimed that his visit would provoke “certain segments of society, namely the Islamic population”, the report said.
Two months later the government canceled the visa of right-wing Israeli politician Simcha Rothman, who was scheduled for a speaking tour in Melbourne and Sydney. Rothman is a member of Israel’s ruling coalition.
Sing a song over a house saying ‘Kill Israel’. (Executive Council of Australian Jews)
According to ABC News, Burke revoked the visa of former Israeli parliamentarian Ayelet Shaked in 2024, citing what she considered “derogatory” statements about Palestinians.
The Australian Embassy and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade did not respond to questions regarding Yemini’s allegations. The Prime Minister’s press secretary, Anthony Albanese, declined to respond to Fox News Digital without identifying sources of criticism of the Prime Minister.
FORMER HAMAS POSTAGE WARNED AUSTRALIAN LEADERS MONTHS AGO ABOUT THE DANGERS OF ANTISEMISM AHEAD OF BONDI BEACH ATTACK
The Department of Internal Affairs told Fox News Digital it could not comment on specific cases and would not respond to additional questions.
The atmosphere in Australia continues to be tense following the Bondi Beach massacre.
Former Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison was recently condemned when he suggested that Muslim leaders should be licensed to preach and their teachings should be translated into English. According to Australian news, Morrison suggested that Muslims in Australia should take “responsibility and responsibility” for radicalization.
The high-vis jacket of an anti-Israel protester during a march against the Jewish state near the Sydney Harbor Bridge in Australia. August 2025. (Ayush Kumar/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
The site also claimed that one of the attackers was linked to Sydney preacher Wissam Haddad. Some of Wissam Haddad’s lectures were removed from social media by a federal judge on the grounds that they contained “racist and anti-Semitic” content, according to ABC News.
The Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) has produced a 15-minute video that it claims contains multiple examples of incitement to violence against Jews, recorded at protests in Sydney and various mosques within 30-40 minutes of Bondi Beach.
Albanese’s press secretary did not respond to questions about whether Albanese had made any effort to respond to the behavior shown in the video.
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The National Council of Imams of Australia called Morrison’s remarks “reckless, irresponsible and deeply misinformed” and said it was “unacceptable to suggest that an entire faith community should be held accountable for the actions of two (alleged) criminals, both of whom law enforcement has confirmed acted alone.”
Yemini said the response to Morrison was “part of a wider attempt to prevent any honest conversation about what has led to the rise of antisemitism and ideological violence in Australia”. He said for years Australians were told “it made sense to distinguish between Islam and radical Islam”. “We are now being told to ignore the fact that the attackers cited religion as their motivation.”
