Diplomatic relations between Israel and Australia have reached a boiling point after a series of tit-for-tat moves that began with the abrupt cancellation of a visa for Israeli lawmaker Simcha Rothman and escalated into public accusations, retaliatory visa revocations, and fierce political rhetoric on both sides.
The latest chapter unfolded on August 19, 2025, when Australian authorities canceled Rothman’s visa less than 24 hours before his planned arrival. Rothman, a prominent member of Israel’s Religious Zionism party and chair of the Knesset Constitution Committee, had been scheduled to embark on a “solidarity tour” with Australia’s Jewish community. As reported by The Media Line, Rothman learned of the cancellation by email at 5:30 a.m. on the day of his planned departure, leaving him and his supporters blindsided.
Australian officials cited Section 116 of the Migration Act, which allows entry to be denied if a visitor is deemed a risk to the “health, safety, or good order” of the community. Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke didn’t mince words, telling British media, “If you are coming to Australia to spread a message of hate and division, we don’t want you here.” Burke further announced that Rothman would be barred from applying for a new visa for the next three years.
Rothman, in response, called the decision “outrageous” and “cowardly,” insisting the evidence against him amounted to little more than his public condemnation of Hamas and support for Israeli sovereignty in Judea and Samaria—positions, he emphasized, that “represent a broad consensus in Israel and in the Jewish people around the world.” He argued, “Anyone who supports a terror state at our borders, or thinks that Hamas is good, is on the side of terror, of hate, and of division.”
According to The Media Line, Rothman claimed that Australian officials admitted to acting under pressure from segments of the local Muslim community, who had threatened riots or attacks if his visit went ahead. “Apparently they got some threats of riots or of attacks, and instead of dealing with it… they blame me for spreading hate and division,” Rothman said. “That’s crazy, that’s going against the victim and not against the aggressor.”
Rothman also flatly rejected claims that his rhetoric was extreme, comparing his statements to those of mainstream politicians in Israel and abroad. “I even speak with a softer voice than many members of the US Senate today, and many members of the United States House of Representatives, and the American ambassador to Israel, and President Donald Trump,” he said. “So, if these views are controversial and hate and division, then no foreign politician should go to Australia, if that’s the case.”
He described his intended visit as a mission to reassure Jewish Australians, who have faced a spike in anti-Semitic attacks since the October 7, 2023, Hamas assault on Israel. “I wanted to go there and tell them that the State of Israel sees them, the State of Israel is worried about them, and we will always be with them the same way that they are with us in our time of need,” Rothman explained. He went so far as to call the cancellation “an anti-Semitic thing to do” and “a very cowardly action on behalf of the Australian government.”
This is not the first time Australia has blocked high-profile Israeli figures. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir were both sanctioned in June, while former Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked and pro-Israel activist Hillel Fuld were also denied entry in recent months. Rothman, however, insisted that his positions reflected Israel’s mainstream consensus, not just the right-wing.
Israel’s government wasted no time in responding. Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar revoked the residency visas of Australian representatives to the Palestinian Authority and instructed Israel’s embassy in Canberra to scrutinize all official Australian visa requests. As reported by J-Wire and The Times of Israel, Sa’ar condemned Australia’s actions, stating, “The wave of antisemitism in Australia is raging, and instead of confronting it, the government there has chosen to fuel it.” He also called the ban “shameful” and “unacceptable,” accusing the Australian government of fueling antisemitism rather than combating it.
Sa’ar’s criticism was echoed by Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli, who linked the ban to Australia’s recent announcement that it would recognize a Palestinian state at the upcoming UN General Assembly. Chikli called the visa cancellation “a broken moral compass, discrimination, and a grave assault on free speech.” The Australian Jewish Association, which had invited Rothman, called the move “viciously antisemitic” and warned that many Australian Jews were now considering emigration.
Australian officials, for their part, stood by their decision. Home Affairs Minister Burke reiterated, “Our government takes a hard line on people who seek to come to our country and spread division.” Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong criticized Israel’s retaliatory revocation of visas as an “unjustified reaction,” arguing, “At a time when dialogue and diplomacy are needed more than ever, the Netanyahu Government is isolating Israel and undermining international efforts towards peace and a two-state solution.”
The diplomatic spat quickly escalated into a war of words at the highest levels. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly attacked Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, calling him “a weak politician who betrayed Israel and abandoned Australia’s Jews.” In a statement posted on X, Netanyahu declared, “History will remember Albanese for what he is: A weak politician who betrayed Israel and abandoned Australia’s Jews.”
Not everyone in Israel agreed with Netanyahu’s approach. Opposition Leader Yair Lapid criticized the prime minister’s attack, saying it only served to strengthen Albanese domestically. “The thing that most strengthens a leader in today’s democratic world is a confrontation with Netanyahu, the most politically toxic leader in the Western world,” Lapid wrote on X. “It’s unclear why Bibi is rushing to give the Australian prime minister this gift.”
Behind the heated rhetoric, the underlying tensions between the two countries have been building for months. Australia’s recent decision to recognize a Palestinian state at the United Nations marked a significant departure from previous policy and has been a major point of contention for Israel. The string of visa cancellations and sanctions against Israeli officials—many of whom are associated with hardline positions on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict—has only deepened the rift.
For Australia’s Jewish community, the diplomatic crisis has heightened feelings of vulnerability. Israel’s ambassador to Australia, Amir Maimon, told Israel’s Kan public broadcaster that the Jewish community is worried, noting a dramatic rise in antisemitism since October 7. “My predecessors told me that the relations were based on friendly foundations, but since Labour won [the last election], there’s been an erosion, and since October 7, there’s been a dramatic rise in antisemitism,” Maimon said.
As both nations dig in their heels, the prospects for a quick resolution appear slim. Rothman, for his part, warned Australia against the dangers of appeasing extremism. “Surrendering or appeasing terror is never, and had never been the right approach,” he said. “Anyone who is caving under pressure that comes from terror is just inviting the next terrorist attack, just encouraging terror. Israel had learned this lesson and paid a very heavy price on October 7. We said never again, and we make sure that Israel will never cave again under threats of terror. I hope Australia would not need their October 7 to learn how important it is to stand against terror.”
With both sides trading accusations and taking retaliatory steps, the diplomatic standoff between Israel and Australia shows no sign of abating, leaving their once-strong relationship at a crossroads.
