British Jews ask government to block Australian author over October 7 comments

The Board of Deputies of British Jews has called on Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood to use her powers to prevent Australian writer Randa Abdel-Fattah from entering the UK, arguing that her past statements praising the October 7 Hamas assault are deeply offensive to Jewish communities. The group highlighted her description of the attacks as "exhilarating" and her dismissal of reports of sexual violence as "rape atrocity propaganda".

Conservative frontbencher Chris Philp has also appealed to the Home Secretary to block any visa or electronic travel authorisation for the author’s upcoming book tour. Abdel-Fattah, who was previously barred from Adelaide Writers’ Week after similar controversy, is set to speak at venues in London, Dublin and Manchester, while a Cambridge literary festival has already cancelled her appearance. The Home Office said it remains committed to rooting out antisemitism, but has not commented on the specific case. Her publisher OneWorld has not responded to requests for comment.