Lawmakers slam Australia’s decision to bar MK Rothman
After Australia confirmed it would not be allowing far-right minister Simcha Rothman into the country, a number of Israeli politicians expressed their disapproval. MK Benny Gantz, a member of the opposition, posted on X (formerly Twitter): “MK Rothman & I have stark political and ideological differences – yet Australia’s decision to bar him from entry is not only deeply misguided, but blatantly hypocritical.
“If only Australia fought the ravaging antisemitism targeting its Jewish communities with the same fervor it banned representatives from the one & only democracy in the Middle East.”
Several other Knesset members, mostly from the right-wing coalition, have come out in solidarity with the lawmaker. Far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir posted that the decision is “a historical stain and a shame for the Australian government,” lambasting what he calls “the gloating cries of Israeli left-wing activists, the collaborators of Hamas, and those who defame Israel worldwide.”