Herzog’s visit brings unity, fury, and antisemitism reckoning

To borrow the opening line of Charles Dickens’ historical novel A Tale of Two Cities, this week has been both the best of times and the worst of times for Australia’s Jewish community. 

The paramount issue for the community this week has been the four-day visit of Israeli President Isaac Herzog and his wife, Michal. It brought out thousands of Jews to hear him, salute him, stand with him, and acknowledge his support – headlined by an extraordinary turn-out of 7 000 people at an event in Sydney on 9 February. But it also brought out thousands of members of the wider community who participated in angry street protests and marches in cities across the country, with thousands of police officers in attendance, violence breaking out in various places, and multiple arrests made as protesters defied the law. 

It elicited unsuccessful 11th-hour court actions to have Herzog arrested as soon as he set foot in Australia and to have restrictions on public protests overturned, as well as full-page newspaper advertisements by a miniscule but stridently anti-Zionist Jewish group, describing Herzog as “an alleged war criminal” and shouting “Jews say no!” Speakers at protest rallies described the president variously as a “war criminal”; “inciter of genocide”; “fascist”; “terrorist”; and “murderer”. 

Random newspaper headlines this week included, “I’m Jewish – but I take no comfort from Herzog being here”; “‘Genocide’ attacks on Herzog expose accusers’ hypocrisy”; “Protests beg question if Herzog’s visit was wise”; “Protesters defy police”; and “Herzog visit turns ugly”. 

Invited to Australia by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in the wake of the worst terrorist attack in Australian history – the massacre of 15 people celebrating the first night of Chanukah on 14 December 2025 – Herzog and his entourage arrived in Sydney on Monday, 9 February, and headed almost immediately to Bondi Beach, the site of the shootings. Herzog made it clear that his visit was intended to bring relations between Australia and Israel “back on track”. 

With police helicopters buzzing overhead, snipers visible on nearby buildings, and massive security in attendance, Herzog laid a wreath and two stones at the Bondi Pavilion, brought from Jerusalem. And standing metres from where two terrorists killed 15 people and wounded 40 more, he met the family members of some of those who were directly impacted by the tragedy. 

“One thing has become clear,” he said. “Hatred that starts with the Jews never ends with the Jews. This is why the rise in antisemitism around the world is a global emergency, and we must all act to fight it.” 

While thousands of protesters took to the streets in cities across the nation, yelling “Globalise the intifada” and “From the river to the sea”, the president addressed 7 000 members of the Sydney Jewish community at a particularly moving event, emphasising that just as Australian Jews had rushed to support Israel in the wake of the massacre of 7 October 2023, it was singularly appropriate that he did the same in the wake of the Bondi massacre. 

Pointing out that he and Michal, had visited more than 1 500 families impacted by 7 October, he said he had to “look them in the eye”. Similarly, they had come to Australia “to show up” for the Australian Jewish community in its trauma. 

Expressing frustration that more wasn’t done to combat antisemitism in Australia in the two years following 7 October, he said: “Your Jewish identities became targets in Australia, just as you watched a massacre unfold in Israel. 

“The hatred that triggered the shooting in Bondi is the very same age-old plague of antisemitism endured by our parents and grandparents. The horrors in Israel empowered jihadi extremism to rear its ugly head here, the country that welcomed thousands and thousands of survivors of the Holocaust, refugees of pogroms, Jews re-emerging behind the Iron Curtain. This is what it means to globalise the intifada. 

“We all recall the sickening chants outside the Opera House; the firebombing of Adass Israel Synagogue in Melbourne; the boycotts and threats; the colleagues who turned their backs on their Jewish and Israeli associates; the attacks on college campuses; the escalating rhetoric and shrieking silence. That was the prelude to Bondi,” Herzog said. 

Speaking after Herzog, New South Wales Premier Chris Minns said, “The murderous ideology of antisemitism is a test of every society, and it’s one that weighs heavily on me. We have to be able to say openly and clearly and without excuse or reservation that we failed that national test of human decency on 14 December at Bondi. Things must change in our state and our country.” 

Herzog is the third Israeli head of state to visit Australia, in the wake of his father, President Chaim Herzog, 40 years ago, and President Reuven Rivlin. 

• South African expat, Dr Vic Alhadeff was editor of a Jewish newspaper in South Africa before emigrating to Australia, where he became chief executive of the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies.