Candace Owens? No, thank you
The Zionist Federation of Australia has written to Tony Burke, the Minister for Home Affairs and Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs, urging him to refuse Candace Owens a visa on the grounds that she fails to meet the character requirements for entry into Australia.
Candace Owens Pic: Wikipedia
ZFA President, Jeremy Leibler, said “we believe that granting Candace Owens a visa poses a significant risk of inciting discord within the Australian community and vilifying Jewish Australians, along with other minority and ethnic groups.
Extremism, racism, bigotry, and antisemitism are unacceptable in any form, regardless of whether they originate from the far left or right. It is in this context that we strongly urge Minister Burke to reject Owens’ visa application.”
Candace Owens, a highly influential American commentator with a vast online following, has announced plans to tour Australia in November.
There is precedent for the Australian Government denying entry to individuals who have promoted harmful and divisive rhetoric. In 2019, the British conspiracy theorist, David Icke, was denied a visa due to his antisemitic views and Holocaust denial. Similarly, in 2018, far-right provocateur, Milo Yiannopoulos, had his visa revoked over concerns about his inflammatory rhetoric. That same year, Gavin McInnes, founder of the Proud Boys, was denied entry due to his involvement in extremist activities and the potential for inciting violence.
Candace Owens has made statements that are equally, if not more, egregious than those cited in these cases. She has a well-documented history of hateful commentary, including homophobic and transphobic rhetoric. She has referred to transgenderism as “clinical insanity”[1] and described the LGBTQ+ community as engaging in “sexual debauchery.”[2] Additionally, she has dangerously insinuated that trans people have been responsible for an increase in mass shootings.[3]
Her harmful rhetoric extends beyond the LGBTQ+ community. Owens has publicly claimed that “Muslims started slavery,”[4] and was disturbingly mentioned in the manifesto of the Christchurch Mosque shooter as a significant influence.[5]
In the aftermath of October 7, antisemitic conspiracy theories have proliferated, fueled by deeply ingrained prejudices. Owens has contributed to this toxic environment by asserting that the “Zionist media” is targeting her, and that “Zionism” has “polluted American minds.”[6] Just this week, she went further, claiming that the State of Israel was founded by a “demonic cult.”[7]
Owens has also propagated egregious historical falsehoods, including the assertion that Lenin and Stalin were part of a “Jewish cabal” responsible for mass murdering Christians.[8] In a recent video, she shockingly declared that she would “personally… punch in the face” anyone who claims Israel is an ally, while spreading conspiracy theories that Jews seek to impose a “pedophile-centric [sic] religion” on the world.[9]
Most alarmingly, Owens has engaged in Holocaust denial, dismissing the atrocities committed by Nazi doctor Josef Mengele at Auschwitz as “bizarre propaganda” and falsely claiming that Jews ethnically cleansed Germans after World War II.[10]
ZFA CEO, Alon Cassuto, said “there is no place in Australia for Candace Owens and her vile, divisive, and dangerous conspiracy theories. For the sake of our nation’s social cohesion and the well-being of all Australians, we strongly urge Minister Burke to deny her entry into our country.”
References
[1] https://x.com/realcandaceo/status/1719010567027847227?s=46&t=M89O9Y-6_uGylYE2CDNd_Q
[2] https://x.com/realcandaceo/status/1648376762517143572?s=46&t=M89O9Y-6_uGylYE2CDNd_Q
[3] https://x.com/realcandaceo/status/1757063267292250576?s=46&t=M89O9Y-6_uGylYE2CDNd_Q
[4] https://x.com/realcandaceo/status/1290473010693120001?s=46&t=M89O9Y-6_uGylYE2CDNd_Q
[5] https://nypost.com/2019/03/15/conservative-candace-owens-influenced-me-above-all-new-zealand-gunman/
[7] https://x.com/shadowofezra/status/1825214337306227171?s=46&t=M89O9Y-6_uGylYE2CDNd_Q
[8] https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-814865
