“I am not a Holocaust denier – I am not an anti-Semite”
Australian Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs David Coleman has cancelled British conspiracy theorist David Icke’s visa ahead of lecture tour planned next month.
David Icke Photo: Facebook
Plans to scrap Icke’s tour were first publicised in January when the Murdoch press reported: “One of the world’s most famous conspiracy theorists — who believes Earth is secretly ruled by a race of shapeshifting reptiles who control human behaviour — is facing calls for his Aussie tour to be scrapped.”
According to Wikipedia, his endorsement of the antisemitic forgery The Protocols of the Elders of Zion in The Robots’ Rebellion and And the Truth Shall Set You Free led his publisher to refuse to publish his books, which were self-published thereafter.
Chairman of Chairman of the B’nai B’rith Anti-Defamation Commission Dvir Abramovich launched the move to cancel Icke’s visa. He stated at the time “This is a man who claims that the Jews funded the Holocaust and who casts doubt on the extermination of six million Jews, who maintains that the world is run by a secret cabal of Jews and who has said that racist far-right groups are fronts for the Jews.”
Dvir Abramovich – ADC
The Minister of Immigration has now cancelled Icke’s visa. He was scheduled to appear in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Canberra.
Dvir Abramovich furnished background material to the government. He told J-Wire: “This is the sweetest victory of all. Bravo Minister Coleman for heeding our call and for declaring in a loud voice that antisemites and Holocaust deniers will never find a home in Australia.
This was a defining moment for who we are as a nation, and we salute the government for taking a clear-eyed and moral stance in rejecting hate and incitement. Allowing Icke into our country would have crossed red lines and would have sent the message that it is open season on the Jewish community and that vilifying and maligning Australian Jews is ok and normal. This is a glorious victory for all Australians who believe in the core values of respect and tolerance.”
Icke, who is a former footballer and sports broadcaster, rebutted the claims against him tweeting he is not an antisemitic or a Holocaust denier.
Research Director for The Executive Council of Australian Jewry Julie Nathan said: “The cancellation of the visa for David Icke to enter Australia to spread his twisted and hateful views is very much to be welcomed and applauded.
Despite what Icke’s supporters claim, it is not a matter of censoring free speech, as Mr Icke’s outpourings are freely and publicly available in various formats including online. Icke’s right of free speech does not impose an obligation on others to provide him with a platform to assist him to promote his paranoid fantasies.
The issue is that Australia should not give legitimacy to hateful and racist views, including antisemitic conspiracy theories, by allowing such haters to visit.
Over the last couple of weeks, we have seen some of the antisemitic hate by Icke’s supporters in Australia in their emails to various Jewish individuals and organisations.
Kate Ashmor
With antisemitic rhetoric and incidents on the increase throughout the world, the Australian authorities have done well by setting an example and protecting all Australians from the potential fallout of such poisonous propaganda.”
Kate Ashmor, the Liberal candidate for the Melbourne seat of Macnamara posted on Facebook: “In early January, I first raised this matter directly with Immigration Minister David Coleman, after being alerted to Mr Icke’s visa application by the ADC Anti-Defamation Commission. Mr Icke’s abhorrent views have no place in Australia. Minister Coleman and I have had a number of conversations about Mr Icke since early January.
