I’ve been covering protests for years, but every now and then I stumble into an encounter that perfectly captures the delusion driving Australia’s most unhinged anti-Israel activists.

That’s exactly what happened when I went to report on a protest targeting Infected Mushroom, the world-famous Israeli music duo who’ve performed in Australia for decades without drama. But it’s 2025, and the usual mob simply can’t resist.

🚨 Palestinian mob TRIED to SHUT DOWN this ISRAELI MUSIC DUO — TOTAL FAIL

The usual suspects turned up to cancel Infected Mushroom's show but ended up exposing their own hypocrisy.

Full story: https://t.co/oMSk2O7Zm3 pic.twitter.com/PGXsEd4Ekt

— Avi Yemini (@OzraeliAvi) November 9, 2025

While I was speaking to one of the professional protesters, a familiar face appeared: Robert Martin. If his name rings a bell, it’s because he shot to fringe fame after tagging along behind Greta Thunberg on that disastrous “flotilla” stunt to Gaza. But I’ve known Martin long before he turned his activism into clout-chasing theatre. Nearly a decade ago, he even threatened to “belt” my bodyguard Daniel. Some things never change.

Seeing him again, now positioning himself as a global voice of the anti-Israel movement, I figured it was the perfect chance to challenge his claims, including his tale about being “tortured” by the IDF during his failed voyage.

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When I asked what the stunt achieved, he insisted, “A lot. A lot of people found out about it.” Then he confessed his broader agenda: “We shouldn’t normalise Israel … anything to do with Israel.” I called out the obvious bigotry.

From there, the conversation spiralled into a revealing mess. When confronted about Hamas executions of Gazans, he justified them: “Some of them were infiltrators from the other side.” Yet he refused to condemn Hamas, flatly saying: “No.”

He even denied the rapes Hamas livestreamed, declaring, “I deny the rapes 100%.” Despite all his rhetoric, he still claimed Israel had “kidnapped” him, though he refused to describe any supposed mistreatment, saying only: “They were horrible … but I expected it.”

By the end, Martin insisted he didn’t trust me with his number — so I handed mine to him directly. He took it. He hasn’t called.

But I’m still hopeful. I’d sit down with him anytime for a real, unedited conversation about his hateful worldview, and about that “selfie yacht” torture he still won’t explain.