Published: 21 August 2025
Last updated: 22 August 2025
Israeli democracy activists asked the Australian government to refuse a visa to divisive Israeli MK Simcha Rothman.
The activists prepared a 35-page document entitled The Rothman Doctrine, outlining the far-right politician's ideology and policy positions, ahead of Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke's decision to revoke Rothman’s visa.
The Jewish Independent can reveal that activists from Israel’s democracy movement made approaches to Australian authorities in a bid to have Rothman’s speaking tour cancelled. Expatriate Israelis living in Australia from the group UnXeptable, which campaigns for a democratic Israel, worked with their Israeli counterparts to stop Rothman’s visit.
TJI can confirm that the government was aware of the existence of the The Rothman Doctrine, but it is not known whether the report was seen by anyone in Department of Home Affairs, or within the government, in the lead-up to decision to ban him.
TJI also understands that a broad spectrum of mainstream Jewish communal leaders were critical of Rothman and his inflammatory ideas. Home Affairs was aware of Jewish leaders’ views about Rothman and if his visa was revoked, they would not criticise the government for doing so.
'Unworthy of representing Israel'
Israeli democracy activists see the banning of Rothman from Australia as an achievement in their campaign against the agenda of the Netanyahu government.
Comments3
Joseph Silver22 August at 11:07 am
The main reason that Rothman was not allowed to come here after previously having been granted a visa was that the Labor government were intimidated by the threat of more violence by anti-Israel activists in Australia, who would undoubtedly have caused trouble if he had been allowed to visit.
It is worth mentioning the double speak of the government that is widely perceived now of being anti-Israel.
In response to Israel retaliating by revoking visas of Australian representatives to the Palestinian Authority, Labor party leaders said, “Look, this is a disappointing and unjustified reaction … This is a moment where we need to be promoting dialogue between our countries …”.
Rothman is a democratically elected member of the Israeli government, who was coming to Australia in part to engage with members of the government. What Labor is saying about ‘promoting dialogue between our countries’ effectively amounts to a load of hogwash. The government is just interested in piling more and more pressure on Israel.
Ian Light21 August at 09:28 pm
Supporting Killing Civilians particularly young children with bombing and supporting causing suffering by severe food limitation was the Red Lineof Inhumanity for Rothman .
Ruth Wilson21 August at 07:35 am
This thoughtful and balanced article certainly reflects my personal view of the current stoush- yes that is what it has become- between Australia and Israel. No I don’t like the retort made by Tony Burke but I do believe that the prevailing view of the Israeli government as an extremist entity that prefers force to a genuine attempt at a peaceful settlement has credibility. I am the daughter of Palestinian born Jews who
taught me to love Zionism; but I have never seen the creation of a Messianic state as a just goal for the Jewish people. I believe that we are at a historic moment, very different from 1947. The Arab world which encouraged their Palestinian brothers to become refugees at that time is now talking about a two state solution. Does anyone out there actually realise what a break through that is? Let’s work with it and bring sanity into the equation