American far-right commentator Candace Owens has been banned from entering Australia.
Immigration Minister Tony Burke canceled his visa this weekend, saying his proposed visit to Australia for a series of five live shows over November was capable of “provoking discord in almost every direction”.
“From downplaying the impact of the Holocaust through comments about Mengele to claims that Muslims started slavery, Candace Owens has the ability to sow discord in almost every direction,” Burke said.
“The Australian national interest would be better served if Candace Owens were elsewhere.”
Through podcasts, interviews and social media posts, Owens spread wild and bizarre anti-Semitic conspiracy theories, including the suggestion that Israel was behind the assassination of former US President John F. Kennedy.
He also described Judaism as “a religion centered on pedophilia and belief in demons…and child sacrifice,” according to the Anti-Defamation League.
The influencer, who parted ways with American conservative commentator Ben Shapiro and his news site The Daily Wire in March this year, has 5.8 million followers on Twitter and around 5 million on Instagram.
The Candace Owens Live Tour was scheduled to kick off in Melbourne on November 17, with tickets on sale for $95 for reserved seating and up to $1,500 for a pre-show VIP dinner with Owens herself.
“Join us for an exciting evening with Candace Owens, the outspoken and fearless American social commentator, author, activist and conservative YouTube sensation,” promoters state on the tour website.
“Known for her controversial stances and unwavering stance, Candice is set to light up Australian and New Zealand cinemas with her bold, unfiltered perspectives.”
Burke has expressed concern about it reaching Australian shores for weeks.
“Tickets for these events sell for $100. “I hope they have a good refund policy,” Burke said in August.
“There was no visa request, but if there was, the letter would reach me personally.
“My opposition to anti-Semitism and Islamophobia has always been on record.
“I have clear legal powers to cancel the visa of anyone who incites sedition.”
Peter Wertheim, co-chief executive of the Executive Council of Australian Jews, asked Mr Burke to cancel Ms Owens' visa, arguing she had failed a character test under immigration law.
“At a time of unprecedented pressure on the cohesion of Australian society, which is largely the result of ignorant and malicious comments on social media, the last thing we need to import into our country are so-called celebrities who have made racist comments and intolerant. against Jews and other vulnerable groups.”
Coalition immigration spokesman Dan Tehan also supported banning Owens from entering Australia.
“There is no place in Australia for people who spread hate messages and undermine social cohesion,” he said.
In a statement issued on Sunday afternoon, Anti-Defamation Commission Chairman Dr. Dvir Abramovich welcomed the visa cancellation.
“Today we welcome the Australian government's decision to cancel the visa of Candace Owens, a street vendor known for her dangerous rhetoric against Jews and other groups and her open Holocaust denial,” he said.
“This is a victory for truth and morality, for millions of Jewish souls and millions of other people whose memories have been blatantly desecrated.
“The ATF, along with Anita Apple, Mingle's oldest surviving victim, and her daughter Daphne, fought tirelessly to stop Owens from spreading his toxic lies on Australian soil.
“It's not just a provocation. His statements crossed the line of vile revisionism.
A wave of anti-Semitism has swept Australia since the Hamas terrorist attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.
In a recent case, the window display of Avner, a Jewish bakery located in central Sydney, was marked with an inverted red triangle on October 13.
The triangle is a Nazi symbol that was used to identify people in concentration camps and has been used by the terrorist group Hamas to identify Jewish targets.
A note was also left for the owner, TV chef Ed Halmage, saying: “Be careful.”
