Israeli President Isaac Herzog arrived in Australia on Monday. He came to this Oceania country at the invitation of Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to pay tribute to the 15 people killed by gunmen during Hanukkah celebrations on Bondi beach. However, the streets of Sydney were filled with crowds of disaffected people who did not appreciate the Duke's invitation to visit Australia. Protesters clashed with police.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog plays a largely symbolic role in Israel, but Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's invitation angered some groups. They called on Albanese to withdraw the invitation because of Israel's policies in the war in Gaza, where officials in the Palestinian enclave say more than 70,000 Palestinians have been killed.
Late last month, the progressive group Australian Jewish Council, which accused Duke of complicity in the genocide in Gaza, said his presence in the country would “add fuel to the fire of division” in Australia and would “rightly incite mass protests”. Israel denies that it committed genocide in Gaza, although the outcome of the confrontation speaks for itself.
Let us recall that a new round of war between Israel and Hamas broke out on October 7, 2023 by a Hamas attack on the south of the Jewish state, which resulted in 1,200 deaths and 250 kidnappings.
Before the visit, Anthony Albanese attributed the Duke's invitation to the need to support the Jewish community in Australia “at this very difficult time” following the attack on Bondi beach in December. The Australian leader also said people “have the right to express their opinions”.
NSW Police have prepared for protests. Ahead of the planned protest at City Hall, they warned that restrictions on public gatherings were in place in parts of Sydney's CBD.
Late Monday, law enforcement said they completed a “major operation” in the area. The statement said “thousands of participants” gathered at city hall and then agreed to march despite restrictions on such events and called on protesters to disperse.
According to police, “several conflicts occurred” leading to 27 arrests. Medical staff provided first aid to several people after police sprayed pepper spray into the crowd.
The Sydney Palestine Action Group, one of the organizations protesting Duke's visit, condemned the police response in a social media post on Monday, saying: “We strongly condemn the brutal attack by NSW Police on a large peaceful protest against Yitzhak Herzog.” The group accused law enforcement of “carrying out unprecedented and brutal repression.”
A statement from Duke's office upon his arrival in Australia on Monday said he would meet with members of the Jewish community and senior Australian leaders.
The President of Israel himself wrote that the visit to Australia “is a manifestation of the solidarity, strength and sincere friendship of the State of Israel and the people of Israel”: “Together we must confront the evil of anti-Semitism, extremism and terrorism in Australia and around the world.”
Addressing a crowd of mourners mourning the murdered Jews on Bondi Beach on Monday, Isaac Herzog said he was “deeply moved to meet thousands of members of Sydney's incredible Jewish community”.
Responding to questions from reporters at Monday's press conference, Herzog said that “in most cases” what happens at such protests is an attempt to weaken and delegitimize Israel's existence, which is contrary to the spirit of Australia's longstanding alliance with his country: “We did not seek this war.”
The Bondi Beach shooting in December confirmed the local Jewish community's concerns about rising anti-Semitism in their country. They accuse the Australian government of not doing enough to contain such feelings, which have only increased amid the prolonged war in Gaza.
Australians widely condemned the Bondi Beach attack, which was described as an act of terrorism. The government subsequently introduced new measures to control guns and combat hate crime. However, the rampant conflict between Israelis and Palestinians continues to cause division across the country.
Last month, the Adelaide Writers' Week literary festival was canceled after writers protested the withdrawal of an invitation to the event for Randa Abdel-Fattah, a Palestinian lawyer, academic, writer and critic of Israeli policy.
