Supporters of Bassem Tamimi believe he is the victim of pressure by pro-Israel groups and have accused Immigration Minister Peter Dutton of conducting "an attack on free speech".

Mr Tamimi, 50, a longtime vocal critic of Israeli settlements in the West Bank, was due to speak in Melbourne and Sydney as a guest of pro-Palestinian groups.

He was granted a three-month visa on April 4 but within 24 hours it was revoked.

In a letter from the Department of Immigration and Border Protection, Mr Tamimi was told the minister can cancel a visa if he is satisfied that its holder is a "risk to the health, safety or good order of the Australian community or a segment of the Australian community".

"The Department has recently been made aware of information that indicates there is a risk that members of the public will react adversely to Mr Tamimi's presence in Australia regarding his views of the ongoing political tensions in the Middle East. Therefore, there is a risk that his presence in Australia would or might pose a risk to the good order of the Australian community," the Department said.

A Department spokeswoman denied the cancellation was an "act of extreme censorship", as Mr Tamimi's supporters claim.

"The Australian government supports freedom of speech and freedom of religious and political beliefs. The exercise of this freedom does involve a responsibility to avoid vilification of, inciting discord in, or representing a danger to, the Australian community," she said.

A spokesman for Immigration Minister Peter Dutton said the decision to cancel was made by the Department but Mr Dutton's office was "aware of the case".

Mr Tamimi, who had left his West Bank home town of Nabi Saleh to travel to Jordan to fly to Australia before his visa was revoked, said he had been blocked by the powerful influence of the pro-Israel lobby.

"I feel that not only Palestine is occupied, the Zionists and their allies dominate the decision in all the world," AAP quoted him as saying.

Vashti Kenway, an organiser of the speaking engagements, said there was a double standard after the government rolled out the red carpet for visiting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu when he visited in February.

"The hypocrisy of the department couldn't be starker, recently Benjamin Netanyahu was allowed entry to Australia and met with large demonstrations opposing the military occupation of Palestine, reflecting a clear adverse public reaction," she said.

"Yet Netanyahu was not only granted entry but invited to address the Prime Minister. It is clear that this decision is motivated to silence Pro-Palestinian views rather than avoiding politically controversial views."

Mr Tamimi has previously been convicted by an Israeli military court for taking part in "illegal demonstrations and soliciting protesters to throw stones".

Amnesty International campaigned for his release from prison in 2012 after he was jailed for his involvement in protests.

In Nabi Saleh, there have been weekly protests against settlements every week since 2009.