Protests expected on Israeli President Herzog’s last day in Australia
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Israeli President Isaac Herzog's visit follows an invitation from Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in the aftermath of the Dec 14 shooting. at Sydney's Bondi Beach.
PHOTO: REUTERS
SYDNEY – Pro-Palestine protesters will rally in Melbourne on Feb 12 on the final day of Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s trip to Australia, following protests in the capital Canberra and violent clashes between protesters and police
Mr Herzog is visiting Australia this week following an invitation from Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in the aftermath of the Dec 14 shooting at a Hanukkah event at Sydney’s Bondi Beach that killed 15.
The visit has attracted the ire of some people in Australia, who accuse Mr Herzog of being complicit in civilian deaths in Gaza.
Protesters cite a United Nations Commission of Inquiry that in 2025 concluded that Israel has committed genocide in Gaza and that top Israeli officials including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Mr Herzog incited these acts – accusations that Israel called scandalous.
“Our message to all Australians is simple: the time to march is now. For all the Palestinians who have been killed, for all those still alive but starving,” said Ms Jasmine Duff, a co-convener of Students for Palestine, a group planning to protest outside one of Melbourne’s main railway stations on the evening of Feb 12.
Graffiti that appeared on a Melbourne University campus on Feb 12 calling for the death of Mr Herzog has been referred to the police, the university said.
There is no indication the graffiti was connected to the planned protests.
President says Australian anti-Semitism frightening
Mr Herzog, who has also visited Sydney and Canberra on the four-day trip, said on Feb 12 there was “frightening” anti-Semitism in Australia
“There is anti-Semitism. It is frightening and worrying, but there’s also a silent majority of Australians who seek peace, who respect the Jewish community, and of course, want a dialogue with Israel,” he said in an interview with television network Channel Seven.
The accusation that Mr Herzog was involved in genocide in Gaza – a common claim by protesters – was a “lie”, he added.
Police and protesters clashed in Sydney on the evening of Feb 9, with 27 arrested after demonstrations against Mr Herzog’s visit turned violent.
Both sides accused each other of assault, with police eventually using tear gas and pepper spray to disperse the crowd in the city’s central business district. REUTERS
