‘Dangerous’: Survivor’s call over controversial tour

The oldest living survivor of sick experiments conducted at Nazi death camp Auschwitz has called on the Australian government to block a controversial US commentator from entering the country.

Candace Owens’ plans for a November tour have drawn vigorous backlash due to extreme views she has expressed, including conspiracy theories about Jewish people and the minimisation of Nazi Germany’s atrocities.

Jewish groups and opposition immigration spokesman Dan Tehan have demanded Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke deny Ms Owens a visa on character grounds, accusing her of spreading “hateful messages”.

Now 100-year-old Annetta Able has added her voice to the outcry, saying comments made by Ms Owens were “deeply offensive” and “a dangerous distortion of historical truth that I witnessed with my own eyes”.

Ms Able and her identical twin Stephanie Heller were exposed to “horrific experiments” devised by Josef Mengele, dubbed the Angel of Death, while being held at Auschwitz.

That included genetic testing procedures which left them seriously ill.

The Melbourne-based Holocaust survivor said she felt compelled to speak after being made aware of Ms Owens labelling accounts of Mengele’s deadly work “bizarre propaganda”.

“I still bear the physical and emotional scars of Mengele’s cruelty,” the great great grandmother said.

“The pain, fear, and trauma I experienced were very real and to hear someone deny these atrocities is a fresh wound to my heart and an insult to the memory of those who perished.

“I urge the Australian government to deny Candace Owens a visa.”

Researchers have recorded reports of Mengele, who had a particular interest in identical twins, amputating limbs and injecting people with diseases among other heinous acts.

Ms Able and her sister were among the few survivors of his procedures. Ms Heller died in 2019.

Daphne Able, Ms Able’s daughter, said allowing Ms Owens to tour the country would amount to a “betrayal of Holocaust survivors” like her family.

“As the child of a survivor, I inherited the responsibility to keep the memory of the Holocaust alive and I ask the Australian government not to let my mother’s and my aunt’s suffering – and the suffering of millions – be dismissed as ‘propaganda’ on Australian soil,” she said.

Promotional material for Ms Owens’ tour promises attendees “an electrifying evening” with “the outspoken and fearless” social commentator, saying she is known for her “controversial takes and unwavering stance”.

Tickets are on sale for $95 and fans can pay $1500 for a VIP dinner with the right-wing personality.

Along with her views on the Nazis, Ms Owens has a record of spreading conspiratorial content about vaccines, Muslims and transgender people.

“Candace burst onto the political scene with her first YouTube video in August 2017. Since then, she has amassed a staggering 3.2 million subscribers, who tune in for her unapologetic deep dives and bold exposes on the most pressing political and cultural issues of our time,” the tour’s website states.

“Candace has become a household name for her fearless criticism of movements like Black Lives Matter, her scepticism about the impact of white supremacy on society, and her opposition to Covid lockdowns and vaccines. ​

“In a world full of safe spaces, Candace cuts through the fluff, delivering raw and unfiltered commentary on politics, culture, and everyday life.”

Dr Dvir Abramovich, head of the Anti-Defamation Commission, said Australia should not provide a platform to a “serial bigot … who has engaged in Holocaust denial”.

“Tony Burke must know that allowing Candace Owens into this country not only spits on the memory of the victims of the Holocaust and the brave diggers who fought and died to defeat Hitler, but it plunges a knife in the heart of Holocaust survivors living here and tears to shreds our shared values of tolerance and respect.”

Mr Burke has asked his department to organise a brief on Ms Owens, and has pledged to “act on it immediately” once he receives it.

He hinted at a possible outcome of the review last week when he said: “Tickets to these events are selling for $100. I hope she has a good refunds policy.”

Ms Owens spoke with 2GB broadcaster Ben Fordham on Monday, telling him she would not be cancelling her tour.

“Yeah, it’s kind of incredible to think that people could be so fearful of just speech and conversation,” she said.

“The only way we can be free as a society is if we’re free to hear ideas and free to change our minds. So I was quite surprised to see that!

“They’re like, ‘Don’t give her a visa, she’s a bad person.’ But I promise you, it’s not going to harm you to hear different ideas.”