Australia has rejected calls to arrest Israeli President Isaac Herzog during his upcoming four-day visit to console the Jewish community after the Dec. 14 Bondi Beach attack that killed 15. A 2025 UN-established inquiry concluded Herzog "incited the commission of genocide" over comments about Palestinians; Israel strongly rejects the finding. Human rights lawyer and UN commissioner Chris Sidoti demanded the invitation be withdrawn, while Foreign Minister Penny Wong said the visit was requested to honour victims. Authorities also charged a 19-year-old in an online threat probe.
Australia Rejects Calls To Arrest Israeli President Isaac Herzog Ahead Of Bondi Visit
Herzog has been invited to a four-day visit to Australia to meet with the Jewish community after the December 14 attack on a Hanukkah festival in Sydney killed 15 people (Fabrice COFFRINI)(Fabrice COFFRINI/AFP/AFP)
Australia's federal government on Thursday rejected calls to detain Israeli President Isaac Herzog during a planned four-day visit to console the Jewish community after the Dec. 14 Bondi Beach attack that killed 15 people.
Herzog is due to arrive on Monday to meet community leaders and to honour victims of the Hanukkah festival attack in Sydney. The invitation has sparked controversy because a United Nations-established inquiry in 2025 concluded that Herzog "incited the commission of genocide" when he said all Palestinians — "an entire nation" — were responsible for the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks on Israel. Israel has "categorically" rejected the inquiry's report, calling it "distorted and false" and urging the body's abolition.
Calls For Arrest And Government Response
Human rights lawyer Chris Sidoti, a member of the UN's Independent International Commission of Inquiry into alleged abuses in Israel and the Palestinian territories, publicly urged that Herzog's invitation be withdrawn or that he be arrested on arrival. Sidoti told AFP the invitation — extended by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese — was a "silly mistake" and should be rescinded.
"He should be arrested if he comes," said Sidoti, adding: "It was the wrong decision, and it needs to be cancelled before it's too late."
Australia's foreign minister, Penny Wong, defended the decision, saying the visit was arranged at the request of the Jewish community and intended to honour the victims and provide support to those affected by what she described as the worst on‑soil terrorist and antisemitic attack Australia has seen.
Penny Wong: "President Herzog is being invited to Australia to honour the victims of Bondi and to be with and provide support to the Australian Jewish community."
Security Concerns And Protests
Pro-Palestinian groups have organised nationwide protests against Herzog's visit, including planned demonstrations in Sydney. Local police have declined to authorise some demonstrations under new powers introduced after the Bondi attack, citing public safety concerns.
Separately, federal police said a 19-year-old man from Sydney had been charged with making an online "threat to kill" against a foreign head of state; authorities declined to confirm local media reports that President Herzog was the alleged target.
The unfolding political and legal dispute illustrates the sensitive balance Australia is attempting to strike between supporting a domestic community grieving a violent attack and responding to international legal findings and calls from human rights figures.
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