Khaled Beydoun: Minster Tony Burke orders visa review after US professor's October 7 ‘celebration’
The visa of American law professor, Khaled Beydoun, is under review by the federal government after he labelled October 7 as a “good day”, one for “celebration” at a pro-Palestine rally in Sydney.
Professor Beydoun spoke at a rally organised by Stand 4 Palestine Australia, where onlookers chanted “from the river to the sea, Israel kills refugees” and “October 7 is not the beginning”.
The two-hour event on the steps of Lakemba Mosque was marketed as an “evening of action, remembrance and resilience” and promised talks from some of the pro-Palestine community’s “most prominent and esteemed voices” at the rally for Palestine & Lebanon.
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“Today is not fully a day of mourning, today is also a day that marks considerable celebration, considerable progress and considerable privilege,” Professor Beydoun told the rally.
“I want to talk about some good things because it’s a good day, and we’ve got to mark some of the good news that comes about that we often times neglect.
“One thing that has taken place over the course of this past year that’s been unprecedented, that’s been transformative in many respects, is that the level of global literacy around what is taking place in Palestine has exponentially risen.”
As thousands attended a music festival on October 7, 2023 near the Israel-Gaza border, rockets rained down, as militant group Hamas killed 1,200 people and captured around 250 Israeli hostages.
The events sparked fierce retaliation from Israel, sparking a war in Gaza that has killed around 42,000.
The comments have caught the near immediate attention of Home Affairs Minster Tony Burke.
Mr Burke confirmed he instructed his team to conduct a visa check “as soon as I heard about these comments”.
“At 8.30pm they confirmed this man is travelling on a visa,” Mr Burke said.
“I immediately asked them to prepare a brief so I can consider his visa status.”
The Department has been approached for an update on Mr Burke’s review.
