Australia Bans Kanye West Amid Uproar Over Hitler-Inspired Track

Australia has revoked the visa of American rapper Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, citing his promotion of Nazism and hate speech. The decision, announced by Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke on Wednesday, follows the release of Ye’s disturbing new track “Heil Hitler,” which features lyrics glorifying Nazi ideology.

“He’s been coming to Australia for a long time,” said Burke. “He’s got family here. And he’s made a lot of offensive comments that my officials looked at again once he released the ‘Heil Hitler’ song, and he no longer has a valid visa in Australia. We have enough problems in this country already without deliberately importing bigotry.”

The May 8 song widely condemned and quickly banned on multiple platforms features a chorus of Black men chanting, “All my n—as Nazis, n—as Heil Hitler,” along with visuals promoting Nazi symbolism. This isn’t Ye’s first brush with such imagery; in February, he appeared online wearing a swastika shirt and described the Nazi symbol as a tool to “show n—as that we don’t have to be afraid of white people,” a post he later deleted.

Ye has deep personal ties to Australia through his wife Bianca Censori, a Melbourne native whose family remains in the city. He has reportedly visited Australia numerous times since their 2023 marriage. But the Australian Jewish Association had previously urged authorities to prevent his entry, warning of the dangers his rhetoric posed to local Jewish communities.

Australia’s stance is unambiguous. “If someone argued that antisemitism was rational, I would not let them come here,” said Burke. He emphasized that the decision was not just about Ye’s past remarks, but about active promotion of Nazism something that is criminalized under Australian law, with mandatory prison sentences for public displays of Nazi symbols or gestures.

Ye’s ideological ally Candace Owens, a podcaster known for Holocaust denial, was also banned from entering Australia earlier in 2024.

The move comes amid a disturbing rise in antisemitic incidents across Australia. Officials suspect foreign actors are fueling this trend, even paying for hate crimes with cryptocurrency. On June 22, a Melbourne synagogue was vandalized twice in one day with graffiti reading “Iran is da bomb” and “Free Palestine.”

As Australia moves to safeguard its democratic values and protect Jewish citizens, the message is clear: hate speech has no place down under. This principled stance reflects a growing international consensus that glorifying Nazism is not “free speech” it’s an attack on humanity itself.

Israel salutes every democracy that draws a line in the sand against antisemitism. Share this story to raise awareness and subscribe to our newsletter for updates.