Israeli President Isaac Herzog says antisemitism in Australia is frightening but believes a silent majority seeks peace and dialogue with Israel
MELBOURNE: Israeli President Isaac Herzog has described antisemitism in Australia as “frightening” as he concluded a four-day visit marked by protests.
Herzog told Channel Seven’s Sunrise programme that a “wave” of anti-Jewish hatred culminated in the December 14 killings at Bondi Beach.
“It is frightening and worrying,” he said.
The Israeli head of state said he had brought a “message of goodwill to the people of Australia”.
He added that a “silent majority of Australians who seek peace, who respect the Jewish community and, of course, want a dialogue with Israel”.
Herzog’s tightly policed visit was intended to offer consolation to Australia’s Jewish community after a mass shooting in December killed 15 people.
It sparked demonstrations in major cities, including Sydney where police used pepper spray on protesters and media members.
Protesters waving Palestinian flags and chanting slogans squared off with police outside a Jewish community event Herzog attended in Melbourne.
More protesters were expected to turn out later on Thursday.
Herzog told the audience at the community event, “We came here to be with you, to look you in the eye, to embrace and remember.”
He also said demonstrators outside should instead “go protest in front of the Iranian embassy”.
The Australian government accused Iran last year of orchestrating a recent wave of antisemitic attacks and expelled Tehran’s ambassador.
Canberra accused Tehran of directing the torching of a kosher cafe in Sydney in October 2024 and a major arson attack on a Melbourne synagogue in December 2024.
Ahead of his arrival, a building at Melbourne University was graffiti-ed with the phrase “Death to Herzog”.
Many Jewish Australians have welcomed Herzog’s trip, with one community leader saying it would lift spirits.
But the progressive Jewish Council of Australia said he was not welcome because of his alleged role in the “ongoing destruction of Gaza”.
A UN commission found last year that Herzog was liable for prosecution for inciting genocide after comments he made about Palestinians.
Israel has “categorically” rejected the inquiry’s report, describing it as “distorted and false”.
