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Israel’s President Isaac Herzog arrives in Australia on Monday to honour victims of the Bondi Beach mass shooting in Sydney, the deadliest antisemitic attack since Hamas’s October 7, 2023, assault.
Herzog plans a four-day visit to express solidarity and offer support to Jewish Australians, who have welcomed his visit.
“His visit will lift the spirits of a pained community,” said Alex Ryvchin, co-chief executive of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry.
Pro-Palestinian activists have called for protests across the country, including central Sydney, where police have refused to authorise demonstrations under new powers introduced after the Bondi Beach attack.
Amnesty International Australia has urged supporters to rally to end what it calls genocide against Palestinians and to investigate Herzog for alleged war crimes.
The UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry stated in 2025 that Herzog incited genocide by claiming all Palestinians were responsible for the Hamas attack. Israel rejected the report as distorted and false, calling for the commission’s abolition. Australia’s federal police have said Herzog enjoys full immunity, covering civil and criminal matters, including genocide.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese urged protesters to remember the reason for Herzog’s visit, emphasising unity. Critics from within Australia argue the centre-left government is moving too slowly to protect Jewish Australians amid rising antisemitic incidents since 2023.
Bondi Beach shooter Sajid Akram was shot and killed by police; his son, Naveed, an Australian citizen, is charged with terrorism and 15 murders. Victims included an 87-year-old Holocaust survivor, a couple who confronted one attacker, and a 10-year-old girl, Matilda.
Not all in the Jewish community welcome Herzog’s invitation. The progressive Jewish Council of Australia published an open letter saying Herzog is not welcome, arguing that his stance on Gaza and Palestinian displacement undermines their grief and opposition to his leadership’s policies.
