A hair salon in Bentleigh, Victoria, is facing scrutiny after its owner allegedly ejected a client because he was Israeli.

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Last Monday, a man attended Juniper Salon for a scheduled appointment. After hearing his foreign accent, the owner, Katrina Ann Smith (who goes by Trina), asked where he was from. When he replied “Israel,” Smith allegedly called him a “genocidal baby killer” and ordered him to leave.

The customer, who spoke to Rebel News, confirmed he intends to take legal action. Penalties for breaches of anti-discrimination law can exceed $100,000 in fines, and tribunals can order offenders to undergo anti-discrimination training.

🚨 UPDATE: Jewish community group calls snap protest outside the salon at 5pm today!

When Rebel News attended the salon later in the week to question Smith directly, she confirmed the incident had occurred and openly justified her actions. She admitted to expelling the man because he was Israeli, insisting that her conduct did not breach anti-discrimination laws because, in her view, “Israel is not a race.”

Under Australia’s Racial Discrimination Act and Equal Opportunity Act, protections extend beyond race to include both nationality and ethnic origin.

Smith’s position also contrasts sharply with her public statements.

On Instagram she has posted slogans such as “All the hate in the world is sold to you. All the love in the world is free,” and urged followers to “repost if trans people are welcome and safe with you.” Her business website also promotes “progressive” causes and lectures clients on tolerance during the booking process. Yet an Israeli client was refused service out of open prejudice.

A long-time customer who was having her hair cut during the confrontation said she was stunned by the owner’s behaviour. She told Rebel News she had been going to the salon for years but would not feel comfortable returning. She also said she used to consider herself left-wing, until the October 7 Hamas attacks and the reaction that followed, when she saw “her side” turn into exactly what they had always preached against.

Police attended the salon during the exchange, while the customer waited outside. He said he is now determined to ensure that no one — Israeli or otherwise — has to go through what he experienced.

🚨 #BREAKING: Tom Elliott blasts the woke Bentleigh salon owner who KICKED OUT an Israeli customer after hearing his accent

Lion of Zion explain why the Jewish community is rallying TODAY at 5PM outside Juniper Salon in Bentleigh

Full story: https://t.co/dqJWQuSCaK pic.twitter.com/TjijC3smZm

— Avi Yemini (@OzraeliAvi) August 18, 2025

The incident highlights a growing concern that public declarations of inclusivity and tolerance are increasingly undermined by selective hostility, leaving Australians to ask whether equality applies to everyone or everyone except Jews.