Britain’s opposition has demanded an Australian academic be banned from entering the country due to her outspoken pro-Palestine advocacy.
Chris Philp, Shadow Home Secretary in the UK, wrote to his counterpart Shabana Mahmood on Sunday to demand author Randa Abdel-Fattah being barred from entry.
Dr Abdel-Fattah was set to host six events in Ireland and the UK between September 30 and October 9 to promote her book, Discipline. No events were scheduled for October 7.
Philp pointed to the Australian’s long history of criticism of Israel as reason for her to be denied entry into the UK.
Dr Abdel-Fattah, who has Palestinian and Egyptian heritage, previously described the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel by Palestinian group Hamas as ‘a moment of freedom’.
‘Abdel-Fattah’s tour falls around the anniversary of the October 7 atrocities, as British Jewish communities continue to face acute security concerns,’ Philp’s letter, seen by The Telegraph, read.
‘Entry to this country is not an unconditional right for foreign nationals. Where an overseas visitor’s conduct, character or associations raise serious concerns about extremist rhetoric or activity, the government must be prepared to use its powers to block them.
‘I therefore urge you to review Abdel-Fattah’s case as a matter of urgency and, if the relevant legal threshold is met, refuse or cancel any Electronic Travel Authorisation, entry clearance or other permission required for her to enter the United Kingdom.’
Discipline, Dr Abdel-Fattah’s Miles Franklin short-listed novel, is about systematic censorship and discusses the Palestine-Israel conflict.
The book gained notoriety after Dr Abdel-Fattah was controversially pulled from the 2026 Adelaide Writers Week, causing 180 authors to boycott it which then collapsed the whole event.
The book was released in Australia in 2025, but Dr Abdel-Fattah’s upcoming tour in the UK coincides with the book being released there.
She was slated to visit Dublin, London, Bath and Manchester.
However, Philp on Sunday claimed the academic’s visit could incite antisemitism, given her previous comments about the October 7 attacks.
‘These are not trivial or isolated remarks. Taken together, they raise serious questions about whether allowing (Dr) Abdel-Fattah to enter Britain and undertake a high-profile speaking tour is compatible with the public good,’ Philp wrote.
‘Britain should be unequivocal in confronting extremism, whatever its source.
‘The government cannot say that it is determined to confront extremism while failing to scrutinise overseas speakers whose rhetoric appears to celebrate or excuse the events of 7 October and refuse to describe a proscribed terrorist organisation for what they are.’
A UK Home Office spokesperson said it does not comment on individual cases but stands against antisemitism.
Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-chief Peter Wertheim told The Australian his organisation hadn’t heard about Dr Abdel-Fattah’s UK tour but understood why it was facing scrutiny.
‘We can well understand the concerns that have been raised about her visit, especially as it will coincide with the commemorations of the anniversary of the October 7 terrorist attacks,’ Mr Wertheim said.
Jeremy Leibler, president of the Zionist Federation of Australia, said the ZFA would support the UK in its right to ‘deny a visa to someone seeking to enter for the purpose of spreading hatred’.
‘At a time when Britain is confronting an elevated terrorism threat, repeated attacks and threats against its Jewish community and serious challenges to social cohesion, it is entitled to consider that record when deciding whether to grant someone the privilege of entry,’ Mr Leibler said.
‘The United Kingdom does not need imported extremism given another platform to promote hatred against Jewish communities.’
Dr Abdel-Fattah’s events and guest appearances have repeatedly faced criticism from Jewish-Australian organisations.
Her discussion event about Discipline was initially pulled from Adelaide Writers’ Week earlier this year due to ‘cultural sensitivity’ following the terrorist attack at a Jewish event at Bondi Beach in December 2025.
Organisers attempted to re-invite Dr Abdel-Fattah to the event after the initial snub triggered a mass boycott from authors, but then the Writers’ Week was cancelled altogether.
Her prior appearances at Bendigo Writers Festival last year and Newcastle Writers’ Festival in March were both criticised by Jewish groups.
Dr Abdel-Fattah claimed she’d been singled out by another writers’ event three weeks ago.
She’d been set to host book talks at the Cambridge Literary Festival, in November, but her appearance was cancelled when the venue, Newnham College, became unavailable.
The Australian author claimed the true reason behind the cancellation was because the Jewish Chronicle, a Jewish newspaper in London, had approached the festival about her forum.
‘I hope the festival will choose principle over posturing and follow through with my session at an alternative venue,’ Dr Abdel-Fattah wrote online.
‘There has never been a more important time for arts institutions to push back against these targeted campaigns that aim to silence our voices from public life.’
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