Australian cities witnessed massive demonstrations on Monday as Israeli President Isaac Herzog commenced a four-day official visit, triggering nationwide protests over Israel’s military operations in Gaza. Thousands gathered in Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane, chanting pro-Palestinian slogans and demanding accountability for actions in the conflict.
Herzog’s visit, intended to express solidarity with Australia’s Jewish community following December’s Bondi Beach shooting that killed 15 people, instead became a focal point for activists condemning Israel’s warfare in Gaza. Protesters carried signs reading ‘#ArrestHerzog’ and ‘#HerzogNotWelcome,’ directly challenging the Israeli leader’s presence.
The controversy intensified as the Australian government invoked special security measures, designating the visit a ‘major event’ that granted police extraordinary powers to restrict access to areas and order people to leave. The Palestine Action Group contested these measures, arguing they were improperly used to suppress legitimate protest.
Tensions escalated visibly in Sydney where footage circulated showing police detaining protesters and using pepper spray. Particularly controversial videos depicted officers confronting Muslim participants praying near Town Hall, drawing widespread criticism of police conduct on social media platforms.
The Jewish Council of Australia criticized Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s administration, accusing it of using ‘Jewish grief as a political prop’ by inviting a leader implicated in what international bodies have described as potential genocide. Amnesty International Australia echoed concerns, urging the government to honor its international legal obligations to hold perpetrators accountable.
Herzog, who maintains that all Palestinians bear responsibility for Hamas’s October 2023 attack, faces serious international scrutiny. A United Nations commission of inquiry previously found Herzog, along with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and then-Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, ‘liable to prosecution for incitement to genocide’—a statement cited by the International Court of Justice in its assessment of Gaza conflict allegations.