Israeli President Visits Australia Amidst Protests and Legal Challenges

Israeli President Isaac Herzog recently concluded a four-day visit to Australia, an invitation extended by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in the aftermath of a December 2025 attack at a Hanukkah festival in Bondi.

The visit, intended to foster unity and express solidarity with Australia's Jewish community, was met with both official welcome and widespread protests, leading to legal challenges regarding demonstration rights and multiple arrests. Controversies surrounding President Herzog's past statements and allegations of incitement to genocide fueled opposition, while supporters emphasized diplomatic relations and community support.

Invitation and Purpose

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese formally invited Israeli President Isaac Herzog to visit Australia in late December 2025, following a December 14, 2025, attack at a Bondi Beach Hanukkah festival, which resulted in 15 fatalities.

The invitation was extended as a gesture of solidarity with Australia's Jewish community and was intended to foster unity and social cohesion.

President Herzog accepted the invitation, stating his intention to meet with Jewish communities and victims of the Bondi attack. He clarified that his office, a largely ceremonial head-of-state role, is distinct from the executive power held by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Mainstream Jewish community groups, including the Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ), the Zionist Federation of Australia, and the Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council (AIJAC), welcomed the visit. They described it as a "powerful message of solidarity," a "tremendous success," and an "important gesture" that could offer comfort to affected families and contribute to a "reset of the bilateral relationship."

Allegations and Controversial Statements

President Herzog's visit was met with significant opposition, primarily due to statements he made following the October 7, 2023, attacks in Israel.

Critics, including Labor Friends of Palestine, the Jewish Council of Australia, and the Australia Palestine Advocacy Network (APAN), cited an independent UN Human Rights Council special commission of inquiry report from September 2025. This commission concluded that Israel had committed genocide in Gaza and accused Herzog, along with Prime Minister Netanyahu and then-Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, of "inciting the commission of genocide."

The commission's findings referenced Herzog's October 13, 2023, statement:

"It's an entire nation out there that is responsible [for October 7]. It is not true, this rhetoric about civilians who were not aware or not involved. It is absolutely not true."

The commission noted that while his words did not "expressly call for the genocide of the Palestinian people," they "may reasonably be interpreted as incitement to the Israeli security forces personnel to target the Palestinians in Gaza as a group as being collectively culpable."

These comments are included in South Africa's genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ). The ICJ, in January 2024, issued provisional orders requiring Israel to take measures to prevent genocidal acts and incitement.

President Herzog has consistently denied these allegations, stating his comments were taken out of context. He asserted that he also affirmed Israel's commitment to international law, condemned civilian casualties, and acknowledged "many, many innocent Palestinians" do not support Hamas.

He described the ICJ genocide case as a "form of blood libel" and rejected the UN commission's report as "distorted and false."

Further points of contention included an image of Herzog in late 2023 signing an Israeli artillery shell marked for Gaza, and his May 2025 video message praising West Bank settlements as a "cornerstone of Zionism and Judaism" and "Israel's defensive shield."

Legal Challenges and Immunity

Several justice advocacy and Palestinian organizations, including the Australian Centre for International Justice (ACIJ), Al-Haq, the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights, the Al Mezan Center for Human Rights, the Jewish Council of Australia (JCA), the Australian National Imams Council, and the Hind Rajab Foundation, formally requested the Australian Federal Police (AFP) investigate President Herzog for alleged incitement to genocide.

However, international law experts, including Professor Donald Rothwell and Associate Professor Monique Cormier, stated that President Herzog, as a sitting head of state, benefits from head of state immunity, protecting him from Australian prosecution. The AFP confirmed no active investigation into President Herzog and that he possessed "full immunity."

A separate formal complaint was filed with the AFP concerning Doron Almog, a retired Israel Defense Forces major general and chairman of the Jewish Agency for Israel, who was part of Herzog's delegation. Almog, who does not possess diplomatic immunity, faces allegations of historical war crimes, including ordering the destruction of Palestinian homes and implication in a 2002 bombing in Gaza. The AFP referred this submission to its Special Investigations Command.

Protests and Government Response

Herzog's visit prompted widespread protests across Australia, with demonstrations planned in approximately 30 cities.

A major Free Palestine rally in Melbourne on January 11, 2026, occurred despite calls for its cancellation, with police reporting 500 attendees and organizers estimating over 2000. In Sydney, the Palestine Action Group (PAG) planned a march from Town Hall to state parliament for February 9, coinciding with Herzog's arrival.

New South Wales (NSW) Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon extended restrictions on public assemblies, citing the Bondi attack and safety concerns. The NSW government also activated "major event" legislation, granting police additional powers for crowd management, including directing people to move on, closing areas, and issuing orders to prevent disruption. Non-compliance could result in fines up to $5,500.

PAG challenged the "major event" declaration in the NSW Supreme Court, arguing it was "draconian" and disproportionate. Justice Natalie Adams scheduled an urgent hearing on February 10, before the planned march. Police advocated for an alternative protest route from Hyde Park to Belmore Park, which PAG did not accept.

Several NSW Labor backbenchers, including Cameron Murphy MLC, Stephen Lawrence MLC, and Sarah Kaine MLC, announced their intention to attend the Sydney protest, citing concerns about Herzog's visit and the right to peaceful assembly. Federal Labor MP Ed Husic also expressed discomfort. NSW Premier Chris Minns opposed these rallies and stated police would act to prevent conflict, deploying over 3,000 officers, including 500 for the protest, with some carrying rifles.

On February 10, thousands of demonstrators gathered at Sydney's Town Hall. When a segment of the crowd attempted to march beyond the designated protest area, confrontations with police occurred. Authorities reported 27 arrests, with nine individuals subsequently charged with assault and public order offenses. One protester who yelled at Herzog at Bondi Pavilion was issued a "move on" direction under the Major Events Act. NSW Premier Minns stated that "all circumstances will be investigated" regarding police actions, advising against judgment based on short social media clips.

Community Divisions and Broader Context

The visit underscored divisions within the Australian community, including Jewish groups.

While mainstream Jewish organizations supported the visit, some smaller and progressive Jewish groups, such as the Jewish Council of Australia and Jewish Voices of Inner Sydney, opposed it.

They argued that Herzog's presence could "exacerbate racism and antisemitism" and "entrench the dangerous and antisemitic conflation between Jewish identity and the actions of the Israeli state," asserting that this does not enhance Jewish safety.

The visit also intensified debate around specific slogans. Arnold Roth, whose daughter died in a Hamas suicide bombing, criticized the use of "globalise the intifada" by protesters, including former Australian of the Year Grace Tame, describing it as "madness" and an "exercise in stupidity" that carries connotations of violence. The Queensland government announced intentions to ban the phrase, and a NSW parliamentary inquiry recommended outlawing it when used to incite hatred. Opponents to a ban cited free speech concerns, arguing "intifada" has diverse meanings.

In the two years leading up to September 2025, over 3,700 "anti-Jewish incidents" were recorded in Australia. Following the Bondi attack, the Australian government announced new gun laws, stricter hate speech regulations, and enhanced powers for the home affairs minister to cancel visas.

Conclusion of Visit

During his visit, President Herzog participated in a wreath-laying ceremony at the Bondi attack site. He spoke of the "global emergency" of antisemitism and emphasized solidarity with Jewish communities. In Melbourne, at the conclusion of his address to the Jewish community, Herzog stated his intention to return to Israel with hope, observing the resilience of Australian Jews. He addressed protesters, suggesting they direct their demonstrations toward the Iranian embassy, citing its responsibility for deaths of its own citizens.

Foreign Minister Penny Wong acknowledged the depth of public sentiment regarding events in Gaza but emphasized the visit's focus on supporting the Jewish community. Prime Minister Albanese clarified that Herzog, as head of state, should not be the target of criticism directed at the Netanyahu government. Some critics, including UN Commissioner Chris Sidoti, however, characterized the invitation as a "tragic mistake" with potential serious consequences for social cohesion in Australia.