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Kanye West reportedly has plans to meet his new wife Bianca Censori's family in Australia, but some of his critics want him banned from entering the country due to his past anti-Semitic comments.
Australia’s Anti-Defamation Commission (ADC) chairman Dr. Dvir Abramovich is encouraging the country's officials to bar Ye from entering the country. Abramovich told Billboard on Monday, January 23, that he believes the rapper's multiple bigoted outbursts about the Jewish community "must have consequences" and that letting him into the country might "send the wrong signal" about Australia and its core values.
“This kind of rhetoric is dangerous and has real-world consequences given the more than 30 million followers that this person has, and who may start believing that his demonisation of the Jewish community and that they must act,” Abramovich said. “Allowing Kanye into Australia would also send the wrong signal about our nation and violate our core values of tolerance, diversity and respect. At a time of rising antisemitism in Australia and increasing vilification, his presence in the country, revolting anti-Jewish propaganda and incitement, and abhorrent rhetoric poses a significant risk to the Jewish community."
Abramovich is calling on Australian Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs Andrew Giles to eliminate any requests from Ye to obtain a visa for his reported visit to the continent down under. The Australian Jewish Association is echoing their demand. The organization emphasized the Donda rapper's influence on recent anti-Semitic events that have occurred in the country since Ye first called out Jewish people in a demeaning tweet that got him booted from Twitter last year.
“Antisemitism is at elevated levels in Australia, part of a worldwide trend. Multiple recent antisemitic incidents across Australia have specifically referenced Kanye West, including graffiti in Melbourne and leaflets in Brisbane,” the letter read. “The Australian Jewish Association fears that a visit by Kanye West is likely to inflame the tense situation and even risks causing violence.”
Ye has neither confirmed nor denied his plans to visit Australia. He recently made his first public appearance in weeks with Censori this weekend during a dinner date with his daughter North.