Israeli President Honors Victims of Bondi Attack Amid Controversy

Tue Feb 10 2026 01:19:02 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

Isaac Herzog's visit to Australia begins with a poignant tribute at Bondi Beach, stirring mixed reactions amidst allegations of his role in escalating violence in Gaza.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog has begun his controversial visit to Australia by laying a wreath at Bondi Beach, commemorating victims of a recent shooting that targeted a Jewish festival. Despite expressions of support from Jewish leaders, protests are anticipated due to accusations of Herzog inciting violence in Gaza, raising debates over his presence at this time of mourning for the affected families.

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, including the ability to close specific locations, the right to search people and the imposing of fines of up to $5,500 (£2,839, US$3,862) for non-compliance.

Alex Ryvchin, co-chair executive of Australia's peak Jewish body, the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, on Monday said Herzog's visit was warmly welcomed.

“For the victim families and for the survivors [of the Bondi attack], it means a great deal, he said. His visit will lift the spirits of a pained community and we hope will lead to a much-needed recalibration of bilateral relations between two historic allies, he said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Australia last year of having betrayed Israel and called Albanese weak for recognising Palestine as a state, alongside other countries including the UK and France.

But other groups, including the Jewish Council of Australia (JCA) have said Herzog should not have been invited. The group's executive officer Sarah Schwartz stated, This does not make Jews safer. It does the opposite.

A letter organized by the JCA and signed by 600 Australian Jews condemned the visit.

Chris Sidoti, an Australian human rights lawyer and a member of the UN commission which wrote a report on accusations against Herzog, called for him to be arrested, arguing the immunity traditionally granted to heads of state should not apply to atrocity crimes such as genocide.

Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said she understood the depth of feeling about the visit but urged critics to consider the context of the visit stemming from the tragic events at Bondi.