Things are getting rather ropey on the invitation of Israeli President Isaac Herzog to visit Australia on February 8. It came amidst the anguish following the Bondi Beach attacks of December 14, 2025 on attendees of a Hanukkah event by two gunmen, leaving 15 dead. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese obviously thought it a sensible measure at the time. For months, his government has been snarled at by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for providing succour to antisemitism. The wretched thesis: that Australia’s recognition of a Palestinian State at September’s UN General Assembly meeting somehow stirred it.
Albanese had thought dealing with the gargoyle of antisemitism and engendering good will could be achieved by inviting Herzog. “We need to build social cohesion in this country,” he insists. The Australia/Israel Jewish Affairs Council (AIJAC) also thought the invitation sound, sending “a powerful message of solidarity and support… following the tragic events at Bondi and the surge of antisemitism across the country.”
These claims of fluffy approval ignore the serious and blindingly obvious prospect that legal grounds might arise regarding Herzog’s visit, not to mention the public protest and agitation it will cause. Australia, being a party both to the UN Genocide Convention and the Rome Statute which establishes the International Criminal Court, must always be wary about the injunctions of membership. A determined opposition, armed with legal arguments and indignation, has shown itself keen on foiling the visit.
On January 30, the Hind Rajab Foundation (HRF), the Jewish Council of Australia, and the Australian National Imams Council (ANIC), announced that a joint legal complaint to have Herzog arrested or barred from entering Australia had been sent to the Australian Attorney-General Michelle Rowland, Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke and the Australian Federal Police (AFP). As Netanyahu would be unlikely to visit Australia without discomfort, given an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court, the complaint asserted that as “the Prime Minister of Israel is not permitted to visit Australia, the President should not be allowed to act as his surrogate.”
The complaint implores the Australian authorities to do any of three things: refuse or cancel any visa held by Herzog under the Migration Act 1958 (Cth), which covers character and public interest grounds; refer him to the AFP for investigation under the Criminal Code Act 1995 (Cth), the Geneva Conventions Act 1957 (Cth) and Australian hate crime legislation; and ensure Australia’s compliance with international obligations to investigate and prosecute who enter the country who are reasonably suspected of committing serious international crimes.
In their body of evidence, the group cites the President’s “Entire Nation” declaration of October 2023 claiming that no civilians in Gaza were “uninvolved” in that month’s attack on Israel by Hamas; the grotesque denials of famine in August 2025, suggesting that images of chronic starvation featuring Palestinian children had been “staged”; and the broader endorsement of military operations entailing the commission of war crimes. Reference in the complaint is made to a December 2023 visit by Herzog to the Nahal Oz military base where he provided encouragement to troops two days before their “wanton destruction” and “flattening” of the town of Khuza’a in Khan Yunis.
The complaint also rejects any application of Head of State immunity, citing the Nuremberg Principles and international law as removing that shield when it comes to the commission of such grave offences as genocide and war crimes.
The complaint is certainly accurate in drawing attention to Herzog’s incitements to collectively punish an apparently complicit populace in Gaza. South Africa’s filing of proceedings against Israel in the International Court of Justice alleging acts of genocide in Gaza cites his remarks from October 12, 2023: “It’s an entire nation out there that is responsible. It’s not true this rhetoric about civilians not aware, not involved. It’s absolutely not true… and we will fight until we break their backbone.” The submission also notes a social media post by Herzog showing him addressing reservists and writing messages on bombs destined to be used on Palestinians.
The September 2025 analysis by the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem, and Israel, which found Israel’s conduct in Gaza after October 7, 2023 to be genocidal in nature, also references Herzog’s October 12, 2023 remark, further adding those words of blame that Gazans “could have risen up.” In the Commission’s view, the President had damned Palestinians to equal responsibility for the attacks on Israel on October 7 that year. Such a statement, along with those of similar kidney made by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and then Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, constituted “direct and public incitement to commit genocide” under the Genocide Convention.
AFP Commissioner Krissy Barrett has also been reminded in a submission by the Australian Centre for International Justice, along with two Palestinian non-government human rights organisations, the West Bank-based Al-Haq and the Gaza-based Al Mezan Center for Human Rights, that Australia has obligations to investigate “credible allegations of serious international crimes” and has domestic laws permitting “the initiation of an investigation” into their commission. Even if immunity was enlivened for the Israeli President, it would not prevent the AFP “from undertaking preliminary investigative steps, including seeking a voluntary interview with Herzog upon his arrival to Australia.”
The AFP states that Division 268 of the Criminal Code Act grants the Commonwealth “jurisdiction to investigate core international crimes that occur offshore. However, it is not usually practical for the AFP to do so.” With something of a shrug, the AFP would rather that the country where such alleged offences had taken place pursue the matter. (What a rosy convenience that would be.) Investigating such crimes would also pose problems, among them evidentiary matters regarding location, identifying and locating witnesses, the occurrence of crimes in an ongoing conflict, the unwillingness of foreign governments to assist.
Australian lawmakers have also shown themselves reluctant to block the visit. The waters were tested in an attempt by the Greens Senator David Shoebridge on February 3 to suspend standing orders to move a motion seeking the government’s rescinding of Herzog’s invitation. “When someone is accused by the United Nations of inciting genocide, you don’t invite them for tea, you don’t give them a platform, and you certainly don’t welcome them as a guest of honour.”
His effort was thwarted by a large Senate majority. At this point, Herzog’s five-day visit, with all its combustible precariousness and legal freight, is scheduled to take place. A citizen’s arrest might be in order.
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One has to wonder at the reason for Albo’s decision!! There can be no doubt that Herzog is complicit in Palestinian deaths and displacement.
WTF – THE POLITICAL DISSONANCE AND HYPOCRISY IS CONTEMPTIBLE
This sorry bastard needs to be uninvited or arrested on entry to Australia and deported, preferably back to Gaza to answer for his partnership in crimes against humanity and genocide.
What stupid idiot thought it remotely conceivable that it was acceptable to invite this man and all he stands for as head of a nation from which the UN has posted warrants of arrest for two leaders on mass crimes against humanity under his watch and presidency, including Netanyahu?
I will not be silent and I will not be silenced by draconian and unconstitutional NSW laws and police-state tactics of repression and discord. Tactics, which claim people like me who answer to humanity and their conscience are a threat to unrest and disorder, when it is he, his invite and stupidity of they who support this ludicrous misrepresented diplomacy are the true threat to peaceful protest, alarm and dissent on the streets.
How is that even a threat unless the same authorities plant agitators to claim I told you so!
Minns and Albanese, do you think we were born yesterday? Do you think we don’t care? Do you think we will just let you kowtow to Herzog, Netanyahu and Israel, to NSW police being used as a weaponised political tool like Trump behaves in Minnesota, all in your name and misadventure!
Herzog you are NOT welcome here and never shall be. Minns and Albanese do not expect to be in office next time round, you do not deserve your seat in Parliament to represent us. You are patting genocide on the back and saying it in our name – WTF.
Indeed Jon,I feel your anger.Just when we needed an intelligent and considered political leadership, we ended up with gutless pissants.
The Zionist lobby have currently taken over the running of the government from the fossil fuel and corporate puppeteers,who must be having a well earned holiday.
The President of Israel serves as the head of state, a position primarily symbolic and ceremonial in nature but the regime he represents is rogue and the prime Minister Netanyahu wouldn’t dare show his face here as he has an ICC arrest warrant outstanding and we would have to seize him on arrival and send him off to the Hague.
This man is not welcome here and we need to make this absolutely clear – Australian Jews are first and foremost Australian citizens and owe no allegiance to Herzog or Israel.
Apparently Jeremy Leibler, president of the Zionist Federation of Australia. https://www.zfa.com.au/zfa-statement-invitation-to-president-herzog-to-visit-australia/
This was an attempt to wedge Albanese, as it really does require a formal invitation for a president of a country to visit Australia. The GG and Albo had to choose: either say Herzog isn’t welcome, or do the official invite thing.
My take on this is that Albo knows full well that Herzog is not likely to get a warm welcome to Australia, except for a few. It will be interesting to see, if he does come, what kind of reaction he has when many Australians call out their objection to genocide.
Just like the calls for anti hate speech laws and a RC, those who were most vocal demanding them regret it now they got what they asked for.
Herzog’s visit will put the protests against genocide on the world media yet again.
I note that the Guardian is this morning reporting on the destruction of “dozens of British, Australian and other allied soldier’s war graves” in Gaza by the Israeli Defence Force.
Will our Prime Minister raise this in discussion with the Israel president as they take their tea and biscuits, or will it be thought to be a no-go area, and avoided, lest the Hedgehog’s bristles are raised?
The anger and dispair clearly stated by all of the above commentators and so many people that I meet attests the fact that Albanese is NOT in alignment with the thoughts and feelings of the majority of the Australian citizenry. Inviting the titular head of the Israeli nation does not progress healing from the Bondi massacre – it plays directly into the Zionist playbook – never let the World forget that Jewish people have always been persecuted and will always be victims to be pitied. This does not play in Australia – we genuinely support the grieving survivors in their private moments of rebuilding their lives however, we do not need nor do we wish to be constantly reminded that our sympathy bank is always in debt to the Zionist cause.
….and another thing: Albanese inviting Hertzog to Australia so he can bend his knee in sorrow on behalf of all Australians is like inviting King Charles to come to Australia and expecting him to apologise for what the colonial empire did to our indigenous population. (Maybe there is some justification for the latter but we all know that is not going to happen.)
As the many Australian people speak out against, and protest against, Herzog and the genocide occurring in Gaza at the hands of the current Israeli govt the media attention will increase. It will be an own goal by the Zionists, as the media is already showing reports of the atrocities occurring in Gaza so he is sure to feel uncomfortable at best during his visit.
Protests, media reporting and commentary in the various forms of social media will not go un-noticed.
In the meantime, the govt can do the ‘Pontius Pilate’ and have clean hands. Albo has given the Zionists what they demanded (I suspect hoping he would say no so they could launch a campaign against him) and now they will live with the fact that many Australians will be very vocal against genocide. Australians are mostly wise enough to know that being against Israel’s genocide in Gaza and the West bank, is not anti-jew.
I really do think that Albo knows and relies on the Australian anti-genocide sentiments as a strategy.
If I were advising Herzog, I would suggest he comes down with a bad case of gastro, or covid, or whatever it was the Ita suggested in a similar tricky situation.