Israel’s President Isaac Herzog arrived in Australia on Monday to honor the victims of the deadly mass shooting at Sydney’s Bondi Beach, which killed 15 people during a Jewish Hanukkah celebration on December 14. The attack is considered the deadliest antisemitic incident in Australia since Hamas’s assault on Israel in October 2023.
Herzog’s four-day visit is aimed at expressing solidarity and supporting the grieving Jewish community. “His presence will lift the spirits of a pained community,” said Alex Ryvchin, co-CEO of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry.
The visit has sparked protests and controversy. Pro-Palestinian groups have called for nationwide demonstrations, though Sydney police have refused to authorize gatherings under new security laws introduced after the Bondi attack. Amnesty International Australia and prominent human rights lawyers have also criticized Herzog, urging investigations into alleged war crimes linked to Israel’s actions in Gaza.
In 2025, a UN inquiry found Herzog had “incited the commission of genocide” against Palestinians, a claim Israel strongly rejects as false. Australian authorities confirmed Herzog has full diplomatic immunity, making arrest during his visit impossible.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese urged Australians to focus on the visit’s purpose. “President Herzog is coming to meet members of the Jewish community mourning the loss of 15 innocent lives. The nation must look toward unity,” he said.
The Bondi Beach shooter, 50-year-old Sajid Akram, was killed by police. His 24-year-old son, Naveed, remains in custody, facing charges of terrorism and 15 counts of murder. Victims included a Holocaust survivor, a couple who confronted a gunman, and a 10-year-old girl described at her funeral as a “ray of sunshine.”
Some Jewish groups oppose Herzog’s visit. The progressive Jewish Council of Australia said in an open letter that Herzog’s leadership in Gaza makes him unwelcome. “We refuse to let our grief for the Bondi massacre be used to legitimize a leader responsible for ongoing violence and displacement in Gaza,” it read.
