Israeli President Isaac Herzog has laid a wreath and two stones from Jerusalem at Bondi Beach, the site of a shooting that targeted a Jewish festival in December, at the start of a controversial visit. When one Jew is hurt, all Jews feel their pain, he said, adding he was there to embrace and console the bereaved families. Security has been tight for the four-day visit during which he will also travel to Canberra and Melbourne and meet Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
Senior Jewish leaders have said the trip will comfort a grieving community, but others have said he should not have been invited due to allegations he has incited genocide in Gaza. The president was invited by Albanese after the shooting at Bondi, in which 15 people were killed, including a 10-year-old girl, at an event celebrating Hanukkah. The prime minister has said the visit will contribute to social cohesion and a greater sense of unity after the Bondi attack but the visit is expected to be met with nationwide protests, including one in central Sydney on Monday evening.
Organisers have said 5,000 people will attend the protest, which is expected to take place despite restrictions on protests brought in by the New South Wales government after the Bondi attack. The Palestine Action Group was on Monday also challenging a decision by the state government to invoke rarely used major event powers during Herzog's visit, which give police additional powers.
A UN commission last year concluded that Herzog was among Israeli leaders who had incited the commission of genocide in their speeches and statements. Chris Sidoti, an Australian human rights lawyer, has called for Herzog's arrest, arguing that immunity granted to heads of state shouldn't apply to serious crimes such as genocide.
Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong acknowledged the deep feelings surrounding this visit but urged critics to contextualize it, highlighting the tragedy faced by the Australian Jewish community.
Herzog's presence in Australia, while intended to promote solidarity and mourning, has become a flashpoint for broader debates around Israel's actions and its leadership, reflecting the deep divisions within Australian society regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.}
Senior Jewish leaders have said the trip will comfort a grieving community, but others have said he should not have been invited due to allegations he has incited genocide in Gaza. The president was invited by Albanese after the shooting at Bondi, in which 15 people were killed, including a 10-year-old girl, at an event celebrating Hanukkah. The prime minister has said the visit will contribute to social cohesion and a greater sense of unity after the Bondi attack but the visit is expected to be met with nationwide protests, including one in central Sydney on Monday evening.
Organisers have said 5,000 people will attend the protest, which is expected to take place despite restrictions on protests brought in by the New South Wales government after the Bondi attack. The Palestine Action Group was on Monday also challenging a decision by the state government to invoke rarely used major event powers during Herzog's visit, which give police additional powers.
A UN commission last year concluded that Herzog was among Israeli leaders who had incited the commission of genocide in their speeches and statements. Chris Sidoti, an Australian human rights lawyer, has called for Herzog's arrest, arguing that immunity granted to heads of state shouldn't apply to serious crimes such as genocide.
Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong acknowledged the deep feelings surrounding this visit but urged critics to contextualize it, highlighting the tragedy faced by the Australian Jewish community.
Herzog's presence in Australia, while intended to promote solidarity and mourning, has become a flashpoint for broader debates around Israel's actions and its leadership, reflecting the deep divisions within Australian society regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.}
