Australia has cancelled the visa of a British-Israeli social media influencer, saying it will not admit visitors whose purpose is to “spread hatred”.
Influencer Sammy Yahood, 25, was due to fly to Australia for a speaking tour, but had been notified of his revoked visa status just three hours prior to his scheduled departure, according to a video he posted on Instagram.
Home affairs minister, Tony Burke, confirmed on Tuesday that he had revoked Mr Yahood’s visa, because “spreading hatred is not a good reason to come”. “If someone wants to come to Australia they should apply for the right visa and come for the right reason,” Mr Burke told The Guardian Australia.
Mr Yahood, who grew up in the UK and recently moved to Israel, has, in the past, described Islam as a “murderous” ideology on X, formerly Twitter. He has also posted saying it was “time to ban Islam” and described himself as “proud as a Zionist to now live in the one Jewish state, Israel”.
Mr Yahood has accused the Australian government of censorship and overreach. “This is a story about tyranny, censorship and control,” he said on social media.
In a statement to The Independent, Mr Yahood said the official decision provided to him by the government was an “alleged attempt to carry out business on a tourist visa”, adding that he does not believe he was in breach of his visa terms.
“I was coming to Australia to speak with the Jewish and Christian communities about courage, faith, and unity. All my events were scheduled by non-profit organisations which need to take a fee from tickets to cover hosting overhead costs. This fee was used against me by the Australian government to create the excuse for visa cancellation,” Mr Yahood said.
He described Mr Burke’s statement to media as both “contradictory to official decision reasoning for visa cancellation” and “ fundamentally incorrect”.
“Islam is not an ideology inclusive of other faiths or non believers. To criticise and state this fact backed up by the Quran, is not hatred. I have never and would never spread hatred targeting people or groups, not Muslims or anyone,” he said.
In another video he posted on Tuesday, he said he flew from Israel to Abu Dhabi but was blocked from boarding his connecting flight to Melbourne.
The Australian Jewish Association (AJA) has condemned prime minister Anthony Albanese’s administration for cancelling Mr Yahood’s visa.
“The persistent targeting of Jewish visitors by the Albanese Government has contributed to the rise of antisemitism in Australia. This latest cancellation reinforces deep concerns within the Jewish community that, despite the horror of the Bondi massacre and the government’s belated apology, the Albanese Government hasn’t changed and was never genuine,” a statement from AJA CEO Robert Gregory, posted on X, read.
The AJA had secured Mr Yahood, who is a Krav Maga instructor, to run a self-defence session in partnership with another synagogue, the organisation said.
Two gunmen launched an antisemitic terror attack at the Bondi beach in December last year killing 15 people and injuring dozens.
AJA Statement
— Australian Jewish Association (@AustralianJA) January 26, 2026
The Australian Jewish Association (AJA) strongly condemns the Albanese Government for cancelling the visa of yet another Jewish visitor
AJA CEO Robert Gregory said:
Sammy Yahood was scheduled to visit Australia to speak at major synagogues in Sydney and… pic.twitter.com/MlGkN9pFeS
Australia’s parliament recently passed new hate and migration laws which allows the home affairs minister to refuse or cancel visas if a person has “engaged in hate, vilification or extremist conduct”.
Mr Burke has previously used these powers to block entry to controversial figures whose past statements raised concerns about spreading division or hate, including far-right Israeli lawmaker Simcha Rothman, who was banned ahead of a planned visit, and US rapper Kanye West after he released a song widely criticised for referencing Adolf Hitler. Last year British social media personality “Big John” Fisher saw his Australian tour abruptly cancelled after immigration authorities refused him entry, citing a violation of visa conditions.
Mr Fisher, known for his fast-food reviews and catchphrase “bosh”, was detained on arrival in Perth and sent back to the UK. Upon his arrival, he said Australian Border Force officers detained him for almost four hours after apparently informing him that while his visa allowed entry as a tourist, it didn’t permit him to engage in paid work or promotional appearances.
