Israel on Monday barred entry to American YouTuber Tyler Oliveira, known for viral videos that claimed Jews had “invaded” parts of New York and New Jersey.
Oliveira was stopped at Tel Aviv’s Ben-Gurion International Airport and deported back to the United States, Israeli Minister for Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism Amichai Chikli confirmed to JNS on Tuesday.
“It was my decision,” Chikli said. “We have a direct line of communication with the Population and Immigration Authority, and when we submit the name of a person or organization that should not be allowed entry, they are not allowed in,” he said.
“Of course, this requires proper justification,” he said. “In this case, it is clear that this individual’s entire purpose was to stage ugly antisemitic provocations, just as he does in the United States. There is no reason for someone who makes a living off antisemitism to set foot in the State of Israel.”
— עמיחי שיקלי - Amichai Chikli (@AmichaiChikli) May 11, 2026
Social-media users had spotted Oliveira boarding an El Al flight to Tel Aviv from New York on Sunday, with some expressing concern about the influencer’s plans in the Jewish state, given his history of producing antisemitic content.
Earlier this year, Oliveira posted a series of videos purporting to investigate the “Jewish invasion” of the United States, visiting heavily Haredi communities he described as being controlled by “welfare-addicted Jews.”
Last week, Oliveira made an appearance on the podcast of Tucker Carlson, who has turned sharply against Israel and its supporters in recent years.
During their conversation, Oliveira told Carlson that the “entire lifestyle” of Jews in the ultra-Orthodox towns he visited was “designed to extract and exploit these welfare systems to the maximum degree.” He added, “It is strategic. It is not happenstance. It is not coincidental. It is by design.”
Speaking about the backlash he received for his Jew-hatred, Oliveira told Carlson that “seemingly, there are a lot of powerful Jewish people who own significant media enterprises—websites that seem to bend the knee at least to what they view to be antisemitic dialogue.”
Under the Visa Waiver Program, American citizens may enter Israel for short visits without a visa, while Israeli nationals receive reciprocal visa-free access to the United States for temporary stays. However, travelers remain subject to border-control inspections and can be refused entry on security, immigration, criminal or public-order grounds.
Israeli law grants the government broad discretion to bar tourists whose presence is deemed harmful to public security or national interests. Jerusalem has previously denied entry to anti-Israel activists, including those promoting antisemitism or boycotts.
