Fuld’s brother was murdered by a 17-year-old Palestinian in 2018. Hamas celebrated the killing as a ‘natural response to Israeli crimes.’
Tech journalist and pro-Israel activist Hillel Fuld had his visa revoked by the Australian government because his social media activity was deemed Islamophobic.
According to Australia’s Department of Home Affairs, Fuld’s presence would pose a risk to “the health, safety or good order” of the country. In a letter sent to Fuld on Friday, he was told his visa had been canceled because of concerns he would incite hatred “against particular segments of the community, namely the Islamic population.”
Fuld is a prominent Jewish influencer, boasting more than 177 thousand followers on X and 87 thousand followers on Instagram. His brother, Ari Fuld, was murdered by a 17-year-old Palestinian in 2018, and Hamas celebrated the killing as a “natural response to Israeli crimes against Palestinians” at the time.
Some of Fuld’s posts cited as hateful include one from January, where he said Palestinians “want no Israel, they want dead Jews. They never wanted a state.” A different post from last year said, “Children [in Gaza] are taught from age zero that murdering a Jew is the highest accomplishment in life, and so often times, Arab terror (including the murderer of my brother), is carried out by children.”
Hillel Fuld, a citizen of the United States and Israel, had planned to visit Australia in June to speak at fundraising events for Magen David Adom, an Israeli medical organization similar to the Red Cross.
However, a social media campaign led by Australian anti-Israel activists said Fuld regularly spreads “hate speech, Islamophobia, and dangerous misinformation.” One activist wrote a letter that said, “Minister, safeguarding Australia’s social fabric requires zero tolerance for public figures who abuse their platforms to dehumanise others and spread racial hatred.”
Fuld appealed to have his visa restored, but said the appeal was rejected, leaving him banned from Australia for three years.
Opposition leaders in Australia demanded that Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke explain the decision. Shadow home affairs minister Andrew Hastie said, “If there is a new political precedent in the standard for issuing entry visas to Australia, the Australian people should be informed as soon as possible.”
Tim Wilson, a Liberal member of Parliament, said he “cannot identify anything [Fuld] has said that could not be lawfully said by an Australian.” He continued, “Should differences of political opinion become the grounds for denying visas, it sets a worrying and dangerous precedent for the future of democracy.”
The Australian government’s decision prompted a response from U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee. In a letter to the Australian Home Affairs Minister, Huckabee requested that Australia “review his visa application and grant the opportunity to make his brief visit for the sake of the very important charity event for the humanitarian emergency medical service organisation.” Huckabee called Fuld “highly respected” and said he poses “no threat to the people of Australia by his actions or words.”
Ari Fuld lived in the Israeli settlement of Efrat with his wife and four children. He served in the IDF as a paratrooper and had a large following on social media, where he promoted Israel. He was fatally stabbed in the back by a pro-Palestinian terrorist while standing outside of a shopping mall.
Neither Fuld nor Australia’s Department of Home Affairs immediately responded to requests for comment from National Review.