Israel’s president Isaac Herzog will make a five-day visit to Australia for talks with federal leaders and will meet with survivors of the Bondi terror attack.
Herzog, who was invited by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to Australia in the aftermath of the shootings, will visit from 8 February to 12 February.
“President Herzog will visit Jewish communities across Australia to express solidarity and offer strength to the community in the aftermath of the attack,” a statement from his office released overnight said.
“A central part of the visit will be dedicated to official meetings with senior Australian leaders, including the governor general and the prime minister of Australia, as well as with leaders across the political spectrum.”
During the terror attack a father and son opened fire on a Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach on 14 December, killing 15 people.
The Israeli president’s visit, which was announced by Albanese following the shooting, prompted legal groups to urge the Australian Federal Police to investigate Herzog for allegedly inciting genocide.
A UN Human Rights Council inquiry examining the war in Gaza found comments Herzog made following the 7 October attacks by Hamas against Israel were evidence of genocidal intent.
He has denied the allegations and has said the remarks were taken out of context.
The Labor Friends of Palestine group has called for the government to rescind Herzog’s invitation.
Visit draws mixed reaction
The Zionist Federation of Australia (ZFA) welcomed the announcement, saying it would host several major Jewish community events in Sydney and Melbourne during the visit.
“The Australian Jewish community is honoured to welcome president Herzog at a moment of deep significance,” ZFA president Jeremy Leibler said.
“This state visit affirms the strong bonds between Australia and Israel and offers an important opportunity for the community to gather in unity, resilience and shared purpose.”
The Jewish Council of Australia (JCA), a progressive group formed in 2024 to represent non-Zionist Jews in Australia and is critical of Israel’s actions in Gaza, called for Herzog’s invitation to be rescinded.
“By inviting Herzog to visit, Albanese is using Jewish grief as a political prop and diplomatic backdrop,” JCA executive officer Sarah Schwartz said.
“Inviting a foreign head of state who is implicated in an ongoing genocide as a representative of the Jewish community is deeply offensive and risks entrenching the dangerous and antisemitic conflation between Jewish identity and the actions of the Israeli state.
“This does not make Jews safer. It does the opposite.”
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