When the Jewish Council of Australia says ‘not in our name,’ we have a moral duty to stand with them. Join us on 9th February 2026.
By Sue Barrett
This Monday, I’ll be protesting Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s visit to Australia. This isn’t about politics. It’s about moral clarity.
The Context
On December 14, 2025, fifteen people were killed in a horrific attack at a Hanukkah event on Bondi Beach. The grief is real. The trauma is profound.
Nine days later, on December 23, the Zionist Federation of Australia invited Herzog to meet with victims’ families and survivors. That same day, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese elevated this to an official state visit. Herzog arrives Sunday, February 8, with full red-carpet protocol.
The intention – solidarity with Jewish Australians – is understandable. The execution is appalling.
Why This Matters
Because grief should never be weaponised to provide political cover for someone implicated in grave human rights violations.
UN experts, including Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese and Professor Ben Saul, have flagged Herzog’s statements as potentially inciting genocide in Gaza. The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Gallant for war crimes. Australia has obligations under international law.
Human rights lawyer Chris Sidoti has called for rescinding the invitation “for the sake of social cohesion,” arguing that Herzog’s presence inflames rather than heals divisions. Federal Labor MP Ed Husic has voiced deep concerns. Greens Senator David Shoebridge urges the government to withdraw the invitation immediately.
This is not about denying Jewish Australian grief. It’s about refusing to let that grief be used as a political prop while there is genocide in Gaza.
I Stand With the Jewish Council of Australia
The most powerful voices against this visit are progressive Jewish Australians themselves.
The Jewish Council of Australia launched a petition declaring: “Israeli President Herzog does not speak for us and is not welcome here.”
Their statement is unequivocal: “This visit betrays Jewish communities, multicultural Australia, and advocates for Palestinian human rights. It conflates Jewish identity with Israeli state actions – a dangerous and offensive move that puts Australian Jews at greater risk, not less.”
Executive Officer Sarah Schwartz warns against “using Jewish grief as a political prop.” The Council has joined a historic legal complaint with the Hind Rajab Foundation and Australian National Imams Council, calling for Herzog to be arrested or barred entry over allegations of incitement to genocide and war crimes.
Progressive Jewish groups like Jews Against the Occupation ‘48 are organising protests. These are not fringe voices – these are Jewish Australians refusing to let their identity be weaponised to justify the unjustifiable.
What Herzog Represents
I stand with them. I support their work. This is what true solidarity looks like
Herzog isn’t just any visiting dignitary. He reportedly signed artillery shells destined for Gaza – a symbolic endorsement of actions that have killed tens of thousands of civilians, the majority women and children.
When UN experts warn that a leader’s rhetoric contributes to potential genocide, when the ICC issues arrest warrants for war crimes against his government’s senior officials, when respected Australian human rights lawyers call for his arrest upon arrival – we have an obligation to listen.
Australia Deserves Better
This visit doesn’t foster unity. It deepens divisions.
It tells Palestinian Australians their lives matter less. It tells progressive Jewish Australians their voices don’t count. It tells the world that Australia will provide red-carpet protocol to leaders implicated in humanitarian catastrophes as long as they claim to represent “the Jewish community.”
That’s not solidarity. That’s complicity
True solidarity means:
- Condemning all violence unequivocally
- Supporting Jewish Australians in their grief
- AND refusing to let that grief be exploited to normalise violations of international law
- AND standing with Palestinians facing unimaginable suffering
- AND listening when progressive Jewish voices say “not in our name”
These things are not contradictory. They’re all essential to justice.
Monday, February 9
Protests are planned across Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth, and beyond. Thousands will gather. NSW Police have extended restrictions on demonstrations, citing “safety concerns” – an attempt to stifle dissent rather than address the root problem.
I’ll be there because silence is complicity
I’ll be there alongside the Jewish Council of Australia, Jews Against the Occupation, Palestinian Australians, and people of conscience from every background.
I’ll be there because when a government provides honours to someone implicated in potential genocide, when UN experts warn us, when our own international law obligations demand action – we have a moral duty to speak.
This Is About Values
Australia prides itself on fairness, multiculturalism, and standing against atrocities. We signed the Genocide Convention. We claim to uphold international law. We say we care about human rights.
Then we must act like it.
Hosting Herzog isn’t just poor judgement – it’s a betrayal of everything we claim to stand for. It says Australia’s commitment to human rights is conditional. It says some lives matter more than others. It says international law applies only when convenient.
I reject that. So do thousands of Australians who will protest Monday.
What I Ask
Join us Monday. If you can’t attend, speak out. Share the Jewish Council of Australia’s petition. Contact your MP and demand they condemn this visit. Support organisations doing the hard work of building true solidarity across communities.
Listen to progressive Jewish voices. The Jewish Council of Australia, Jews Against the Occupation, and countless Jewish Australians who refuse to let their identity be weaponised are showing us what courage looks like.
Understand that opposing this visit is not antisemitic – it’s anti-racist. It refuses the conflation of Jewish identity with Israeli state actions. It protects Jewish Australians by rejecting the very logic that puts them at risk.
Demand better from our government. Australia can support Jewish Australians in their grief without providing state honours to leaders implicated in war crimes. These are not incompatible positions.
Final Word
On December 14, fifteen people were murdered in a tragic attack. That grief is sacred. Those lives mattered. That horror demands justice.
However, justice cannot be built on hypocrisy
We cannot condemn violence against Australians while honouring a leader whose government’s actions are under investigation for war crimes and potential genocide. We cannot claim to stand for human rights while rolling out red carpets for those who violate them.
The families who lost loved ones at Bondi Beach deserve genuine solidarity – not the politicisation of their grief. The Jewish Council of Australia is showing us what that looks like: refusing to let tragedy be exploited, demanding accountability for all, building a future where no community’s safety depends on another’s suffering.
That’s the solidarity I choose. That’s the Australia I believe in
Monday, February 9. We stand for justice. We stand with progressive Jewish voices. We stand against complicity.
We cannot – we will not – stand by.
Join us.
You know what to do.
Onward we press
Details:
When: Monday, February 9, 2026
Where: Protests in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth, and other cities – see the list below.
Who: Jewish Council of Australia, Jews Against the Occupation ‘48, Palestine Action Group, and thousands of Australians of conscience.
This is a peaceful protest. If you’re attending, bring water, wear comfortable shoes, know your legal rights. Legal observers will be present.
Support: Jewish Council of Australia petition and information at jewishcouncil.com.au
References & Articles
Pearls & Irritations, 7 February 2026 by Chris Sidoti: Isaac Herzog is accused of inciting genocide in Gaza. He shouldn’t be welcomed to Australia
Pearls & Irritations, 7 February 2026 by Duncan Graham: Herzog’s visit exposes Australia’s legal weakness on human rights
Pearls & Irritations, 6 February 2026 by Margaret Reynolds: Why is the Australian government hosting the President of Israel?
Pearls & Irritations, 6 February 2026 by Robert Manne: Don’t mention the war
This article was originally published on Sue Barrett
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Thank you to all who who protest. You’re standing up for all of us who cannot attend. Stay safe. Albanese’s making the biggest mistake of his life.
The fact that an organisation, representative or not, invites a head of state to visit would seem to be pre-empting the role of government. That Albanese chose to validate ( or whatever the term is) the visit demonstrates once again his ‘tin ear’ and inability to read the room. He is again showing he is unfit to be PM. I mean, imagine if a group of Russian emigres invited Putin here? Herzog’s visit must be cancelled.
Indeed
Meanwhile Heinrich Minns has’invoked’special police powers to deal with the protesters.I don’t know when the next election in NSW is,but he’s doing the Opposition’s chances no harm at all.Shades of crooked Joh.
Weak as piss.
A bit off-topic but related.
I was recently accused of being anti-semetic when I dared to say that the genocide of 70,000+ people was not an appropriate response to a terrorist attack.
Here we go (paywalled):
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/herzog-s-warning-to-albanese-now-is-not-the-time-for-a-two-state-solution-20260206-p5o02h.html
So much for a symbolic Presidential visit. Albanese has been goodly wedged.
“Herzog, who will arrive in Australia for a four-day trip on Monday, is an apolitical head of state who does not make government policy” (SMH).
Yeah right.
Putting pressure already on PM to sign up to the Board of Peace:
‘Herzog said he hoped Australia would play an active role in the reconstruction of Gaza, but that it was up to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to decide whether he accepts an invitation to join Trump’s controversial board of peace.’
Does the IDF destruction of Australian and British Commonwealth War Cemeteries in Gaza come under the pretext of “reconstructing” Gaza? Albanese should ask Herzog this question.
One has to conclude that the Zionists view Albanese as weak, otherwise they wouldn’t be pulling this shit.
One also has to conclude, given past performances, that they might be right.
Prove us wrong,Albo.
One wonders in the background who is putting pressure on the (NSW Tory version) ALP?
By reacting to a plethora of wedge/leadership opinion polls promoted by the RW MSM to wedge the government and have centre upon centre clashes, while deflecting from the civil war on the right….. (ditto UK focus on Starmer & Mandelson re Epstein, but disappearing Farage, Reform & Tories on same).
While Israel is complicit in the Koch (allegedly anti-semitic & Opus Dei) Heritage ‘Project Esther’, one would warn those who are Jewish heritage supporting Israel, to be careful what they wish for in being used as battering ram by the white Christian nationalist right….
From the article ‘This is not about denying Jewish Australian grief. It’s about refusing to let that grief be used as a political prop while there is genocide in Gaza.’
Think Niemöller’s ‘They Came….’ same roots or influence aka attacks and anti-semitic dog whistles late German Weimar era vs the ‘cultural Marxism’ of the Frankfurt School.
I STAND AGAINST THE HERZOG VISIT TO AUSTRALEIBLER TO OFFER PALESTINIAN OWNED GAZA REAL ESTATE AT PRE-DEVELOPMENT BARGAIN PRICES.
https://www.zfa.com.au/zfa-statement-invitation-to-president-herzog-to-visit-australia/
In the press release above from the Zionist Federation of Australia President asserted “ZFA President Jeremy Leibler wrote to President Herzog on behalf of Australia’s Jewish community, inviting him to come to Australia to stand with a grieving nation and a shattered community.”
Now that the ZFA has usurped the decision making role from the Albanese LABOR government, have you ever wondered what other ”small changes” they intend for the nation?
Perhaps the new unelected regime will insist upon replacing the flag-staff on Parliament House Canberra with a suitably large menorah to advise the First Nations and earlier Anglo-Celtic-European colonist immigrants just who is the new boss.
Then work-place and social changes may follow, like all businesses returning to Saturday Closure, stopping all vehicular movement on Saturdays, including public transport, and week-end sport would be banned to provide family time for non-believers.
Why travel agents may even offer the Sixty Year Yon Kippur Memorial Tour to “Come to Isrevil and see the Pyramids”, including an executive inspection tour of the US inspired Board of Land Theft progress of the TACO Trumpery GAZA Gold Coast re-development by international carpet-baggers.
Undated stand-alone Open Letter from Jewish Writers on US-based mag n+1:
https://www.nplusonemag.com/online-only/online-only/a-dangerous-conflation/
How passing strange it is that an ISIS-inspired antisemitic terrorist attack on Australian Jews by two deranged radicalised Muslims (missed by Oz intelligence) has suddenly become all about Israel?
David Leser today:
https://www.smh.com.au/national/i-m-jewish-i-live-in-bondi-but-i-take-no-comfort-from-herzog-s-visit-20260208-p5o0ep.html
Thanks Herbert. What would it take for all Jews to adopt Leser’s rational & sensible perspectives? A tough ask, no doubt, given the weddedness to extreme viewpoints, zealotry, idolatry, hatred, fear & paranoia that characterise a large percentage of the Jewish peoples both within Israel and throughout the diaspora.
I think the cult has worked out that the only way to gain ground is to act in a provocative manner, and then fall back on the old victim role.
And for some strange reason this government keeps on rewarding the victim with out finding out if this is justified.
If the party on one of our most high profile beaches had been held on private land, or out of the spotlight then the shooting would not have happened. Putting it there was an act of provocation.
Having Herzog visit is a further act of provocation seeking to elevate the needs of a minority sect. They could of course have sent Netenyahoo, and that really would have set to fox amongst the chickens.
Our laws are changing by the day, and our culture is being shaped to suit and incredibly small percentage of folk who will probably be deeply unpopular for a long time to come.
But that is familiar territory for those trading on the victim card
How are Christians, atheists, and other religion followers thought of by the Jewish faithful? Before the Bondi murders I recently read a rant about the celebration of Christmas irritating a few of the Jewish faith.
@Doouglas Pritchard
I have to fess up to a thought that occurred to me after the Oct7 attack that permitting the Supernova Music Festival to be held about 5km from the Gaza-Israel Barrier was daft idea if not a passive provocation. That it has been more or less confirmed since then that the Israeli Government had received warnings and intel regarding the possibility of an attack but did nothing has just reinforced my suspicions of the Israeli Government’s capabilities in this regard.
https://www.npr.org/2025/03/05/nx-s1-5318591/israel-shin-bet-security-failure-october-7-attack
Borderline conspiracy theory I know but…
@ Herbert: It is called ”the Hannibal Directive” where the amoral IDF was reported as shooting Israelis so that Netanyahu could make false claims about Indigenous Palestinian landowners.
MOssad is cited as an efficient ”security force”credited with many successful past operations. How did Mossad miss this misplacement of the Music Festival?? Nah ….. It was a planned attack …..
I have never been so disgusted and ashamed to be an Australian, while our spinless politicians suck up to Israevil and 117,000 jews. Ive been saying for quite a while that Australia (and the world) is fucked up by the yanks and israevil, but now the proof is in….
The jews left Europe and the trouble stopped. The jews went to the Middle East and the trouble started. A disgusting racist murderous religion, that specialises in playing the victim and interfeering in other peoples countries, as we are now seeing with Herstslobs visit. And they wonder why they are hated.
@Thomas Brookes
Your second comment with its gross historical generalisations needs to be called out for its antisemitism.
As to your first, it’s worth repeating that not all Australian Jews support the Israeli Government and many have publicly protested Herzog’s visit (as evidenced by the Jewish Council of Australia Petition with more than 1000 signatories as reported above by Sue Barratt), including David Leser, Louise Adler, and Judith Treanor (to name a few):
https://michaelwest.com.au/how-jewish-are-you-enough-to-put-you-on-a-list/
Doug Pritchard and Herbert esp- also NEC.
Louise Adler.
It’s amazing, that group of strong aussie women who have stepped up to protest the monstrosities.
For New England Cocky and anyone piqued by Jeremy Liebler:
‘By Ben Cubby’
‘At an event at the International Convention Centre, the president of the Zionist Federation of Australia, Jeremy Liebler, has introduced President Herzog with a speech that commended Prime Minister Anthony Albanese for inviting the Israeli head of state.’
‘Liebler said the president had called him within hours of the Bondi attack to offer solace and solidarity. Liebler also linked a perceived tolerance for antisemitism in wider Australian society to the causes of the Bondi massacre.’
‘Leibler said: ‘Here in Australia, we have watched antisemitism creep from the fringe into respectable spaces – into academia, the arts and progressive circles – where our fear is mocked, our history denied, and our right to self-determination put on trial. In 2026, the respectable way to express antisemitism is through the demonisation of Israel. When Israel is smeared as uniquely evil, ‘Zionist’ becomes a safe word for Jew. That is why false accusation of genocide and apartheid are not legitimate critique. They are a verdict. A moral inversion designed to strip Jews of legitimacy and turn Jewish survival into a crime. Bondi reminded us what happens when hatred is tolerated in polite society. It metastasises and destroys from within.’
In my view the disingenuity of Liebler’s speech is beyond the pale, with its assertions concocted as unanswerable courtesy the mendacity of its core premise (as I understand it): that critics of Israel (i.e. of Israel’s conduct of its war in Gaza against Palestinians) across the Australian community (e.g., “academia, the arts and progressive circles”) are, if not tolerant of creeping antisemitism, actual antisemites (“Zionist becomes a safe word for Jew”) who created the conditions for the Bondi massacre and are therefore responsible for it.
It seems Liebler can spout this gobbledygook with impunity because the Israeli President is standing right by him, both having outwitted, outplayed, and finally snookered the Prime Minister of Australia.
This is very dangerous stuff IMHO.
The words you never hear when any of the Zionists whinge about how they’re hated, vilified, attacked etc. etc., are ‘we recognise the legitimate concerns of the Palestinians, if we put ourselves in their shoes, we’d feel the same way towards us, we understand that the theft of their lands, the many decades-long campaigns of terrorism, brutality, cruelty, the murderous pogroms, the government-led dehumanisation of these people… all of it utterly unacceptable, awful, shameful, all of it an enormous error that urgently needs to remedied. We recognise that in the eyes of the world we are seen as savages, brutes, murderers of old men, women, children, destroyers of towns, villages and cities, along with the rural heartlands of the Palstinian peoples that have sustained them for thousands of years. We acknowledge that we have a debt to the Palestinians that is unlikely ever to be repaid, but we pledge, at this moment, to seek peace and atonement, and we also commit to doing whatever it takes to acknowledge the sins we have committed and to do everything in our power to enable the Palestinians to have the same quality of life as that which we currently enjoy. May God forgive us.’
Thanks, Canguro.