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NewsAustraliaIsrael

Israeli activists campaigned for Rothman to be banned from Australia

Israel's democracy campaigners see Australia's decision to revoke the Israeli politician's visa as an achievement.
Deborah Stone & Michael Visontay
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Moshe Radman Abutbul, one of the leaders of the democracy protest movement which campaigned to have Simcha Rothman’s visa to Australia revoked (pixie.tt)

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 Home Affairs was aware of Jewish leaders’ views about Rothman and if his visa was revoked, they would not criticise the government for doing so.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.

The document they prepared outlines Rothman’s involvement with the settler movement, his role in the judicial overhaul, his misuse of legal process, and his proposed immigration law reforms.

“Simcha Rothman represents a new breed of Israeli politician: one who combines deep religious conviction, sophisticated legal training, and unwavering ideological commitment to fundamentally transform the nature of the Israeli state.

“His "Rothman Doctrine" is not merely a collection of policy proposals but a comprehensive worldview that seeks to replace Israel's liberal-democratic foundations with a more exclusionary, religiously defined, and majority-controlled system,” the document concludes.

Read The Rothman Doctrine report.

Protest leader Moshe Radman Abutbul said democracy activists conducted the campaign because Rothman was “unworthy of representing Israel”.

“People like Rothman and other members of the anti-Israel "bloody coalition" should be ostracised and considered repulsive everywhere, both in Israel and around the world," he posted on his Hebrew Facebook page, congratulating Israelis who had worked to have Rothman’s Australian visa revoked.

“Anyone who abandons hostages and soldiers to their death, who runs from responsibility for the greatest disaster since the Holocaust, and who exploits the mechanisms of democracy to dismantle it, is unworthy of representing Israel anywhere."

Israelis living in Australia involved in the campaign have asked to remain anonymous, but have told The Jewish Independent that they feared Rothman’s visit would make life even more difficult for Israelis and Jews in Australia.

"There is no doubt that MK Rothman’s visit, if not cancelled, would have created tensions and clashes. At a time when the world is in turmoil, there is no room for incitement. We regret that it has come to this, but our security and wellbeing must come first," one said.

The department’s decision

Rothman was initially granted a visa to visit Australia to speak at events organised by the Australian Jewish Association, but the visa was revoked shortly before he was due to leave Israel.

The Department’s record of its decision to cancel the visa does not refer to the Israeli campaign or to Australian Jewish community leaders, though it notes that Rothman's legislative reforms have "drawn strong criticism from within the Jewish community both in Israel and internationally".

The decision draws on open source media reporting of Rothman’s controversial statements about Gaza, judicial reform and West Bank sovereignty, among other issues. The record highlights his denial that children are dying of hunger in Gaza, his description of Gazan children as “our enemies”, and his demand for Israeli sovereignty over the West Bank.

It also cites a Jerusalem Post report that police in New York filed on Rothman after he grabbed a megaphone from a protester and ran away.

The record shows Home Affairs was concerned that Rothman could have used his planned speaking tour to Australia to "continue making inflammatory statements to promote his controversial views and ideologies, which may lead to fostering division in the community". 

“I consider the visa holder’s presence in Australia may encourage activities, which might be disruptive to the proper administration or observance of the law in Australia and potentially may lead to social division within the Australian community, or ‘something in the nature of unsettling public actions or activities’.

“I consider that the visa holder’s presence in Australia poses an unacceptable risk to the good order of the Australian community or segment of the Australian community, amely the Islamic population,” the author of the departmental report concluded.

Netanyahu vs Albanese

Fallout from the decision to revoke Rothman's visa scaled new heights of contempt as Israeli and Australian government leaders hurled personal insults at each other. Netanyahu posted that “history will remember Albanese for what he is: A weak politician who betrayed Israel and abandoned Australia’s Jews”.

Burke returned the insult with interest, saying: “strength is not measured by how many people you can blow up or how many children you can leave hungry.”

Netanyahu has also sent Albanese a letter accusing him and other leaders of appeasing Hamas.

ECAJ vs Netanyahu

In a dramatic departure from its traditional unflinching support for Israel, the Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ) criticised Netanyahu’s handling of the issue.

ECAJ President Daniel Aghion wrote to Netanyahu accusing him of “clumsy” and “inflammatory” intervention into Australian politics, which undermines efforts that both the Jewish community and the government are making to combat antisemitism in Australia.

“Had we been consulted, we would have warned against such a clumsy intervention into Australia's domestic politics. The charge of antisemitism, whether made directly or indirectly, is a serious one and never to be made lightly. Doing so only invites scepticism, and undermines the efforts we and the government have been making to combat this pernicious phenomenon.”

Aghion said the deterioration in the diplomatic relations between “two countries we love” is causing pain and anguish to Australian Jews.

“If things need to be said publicly, they should be said using measured and seemly language befitting national leaders. Australia and Israel are mature democracies and their governments need to act accordingly.

“We deeply regret the most recent exchanges that have taken place. More diplomacy and less public posturing is called for.”

Read the ECAJ letter to Netanyahu.

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About the author

Deborah Stone & Michael Visontay

Deborah Stone & Michael Visontay

Deborah Stone is Editor-in-Chief of TJI. She has more than 30 years experience as a journalist and editor, including as a reporter and feature writer on The Age and The Sunday Age, as Editor of the Australian Jewish News and as Editor of ArtsHub. Michael Visontay is Commissioning Editor of TJI and was Editor-in-Chief from 2017-22. Michael is a former Assistant Editor of the Sydney Morning Herald and columnist with the Australian Jewish News. He has written six books, including Who Gave You Permission? with Manny Waks, and Welcome to Wanderland: Western Sydney Wanderers and the Pride of the West. His most recent book is Noble Fragments: the Maverick who broke up the world's greatest book (Scribe, 2024)

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