A planned visit by Israeli President Isaac herzog to Australia next week is drawing sharp criticism and calls for his arrest.Teh controversy stems from both ongoing international scrutiny of Israel’s policies and actions in the conflict with Palestine, and a recent United Nations report accusing Herzog of inciting genocide [[1]]. The visit,intended as a show of solidarity with the Australian Jewish community following a deadly shooting at Bondi Beach,is coinciding with planned protests across the country [[2]].
Calls are mounting for the arrest of Israeli President Isaac Herzog upon his arrival in Australia, as he is scheduled to visit to honor the victims of a mass shooting at Bondi Beach that targeted a Jewish festival. The invitation has sparked controversy amid ongoing scrutiny of Israel’s actions in the conflict with Palestine.
According to AFP, the demand for Herzog’s arrest comes from Chris Sidoti, a human rights lawyer and member of the United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry investigating human rights violations in Israel and the Palestinian territories.
“He should be arrested if he comes,” Sidoti stated in his appeal to Australian authorities.
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Sidoti has openly called for the revocation of Herzog’s invitation or, failing that, his arrest upon landing in Australia. He described Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s decision to invite the Israeli leader as “a foolish mistake” in a statement to AFP.
“It was a wrong decision, and it needs to be reversed before it’s too late,” he said.
Herzog is scheduled to begin a four-day visit on Monday, February 9, to meet with the Australian Jewish community. The invitation followed a mass shooting on December 14, 2025, which left at least 15 people dead.
The shooting occurred during a Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach in Sydney. A UN investigation established in 2025 accused Herzog of “inciting genocide” by holding the entire Palestinian population – “the entire nation” – responsible for Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attacks on Israel.
Israel has rejected the investigation’s report, dismissing it as “distorted and false” and calling for the body’s dissolution.
Response from Australian Foreign Minister
Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong stated that President Herzog was invited at the request of the Australian Jewish community.
“President Herzog has been invited to Australia to remember the victims of Bondi and to stand with and support the Australian Jewish community after the worst terrorist attack and antisemitic attack our country has ever seen,” she said.
Meanwhile, pro-Palestinian activists in Australia are planning protests against Herzog’s visit in several locations, including Sydney.
The shooting at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia, resulted in 15 fatalities. One suspect was shot dead by police, while another remains in custody.
New South Wales Police have charged Naveed Akram, the alleged Bondi Beach shooter, with terrorism, 15 counts of murder, and numerous other offenses.
“Police will allege in court that the man was motivated by extremism and engaged in acts that caused death, serious injury, and endangerment to life to advance a religious and ideological cause and to intimidate the community,” New South Wales Police said in a statement, as reported by AFP on Wednesday, December 17, 2025.
“Initial investigations indicate this was a terrorist act inspired by ISIS, a proscribed terrorist organization in Australia,” they added in a statement, using another name for the Islamic State group (IS).
Authorities say Naveed and his father, Sajid Akram, opened fire at a Jewish festival in the popular Bondi Beach area of Sydney, New South Wales, on Sunday night. The attack killed 15 people and wounded dozens more.
Among the victims were a 10-year-old girl, two Holocaust survivors, and a couple who were shot while attempting to intervene in the attack. Two ISIS flags were found inside a car registered to Naveed and parked near Bondi Beach.
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