Activists vow ‘uncomfortable’ trip for Israel president

Australia’s pro-Palestine movement is attempting to turn up the heat on the Albanese government ahead of Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s visit.

Pro-Palestine activists are promising to make Israel’s president feel “uncomfortable” in Australia unless the federal government rescinds his invitation.

Protests were held in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth on Sunday to demand the cancellation of Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s visit to Australia.

Mr Herzog is set to jet to Australia on February 8 at the invitation of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese following the Bondi Beach massacre on December 14.

Fifteen innocent people were killed in the anti-Semitic terror attack by an Islamic State-inspired father-son duo.

During the five-day trip, Mr Herzog will meet with survivors of the Bondi terror attack, senior Australian politicians and Jewish community leaders.

A crowd of hundreds chanted “Herzog’s not welcome here” outside Victoria’s State Library on Sunday ahead of national marches on February 9 to protest his arrival.

Protesters held up wanted posters plastered with Mr Herzog’s face and “make Isaac afraid of us!!!!” was scrawled in chalk on the sidewalk, along with “Herzog to The Hague” on a myki ticket machine.

While Mr Herzog’s schedule has not been confirmed, organisers were preparing for him to visit Melbourne on February 12.

“We have a responsibility … to shut Melbourne down,” former Islamic Council of Victoria executive board member Sarah Baarini said.

“Each and every single corner of Naarm (Melbourne) must be full of people that are making this visit incredibly uncomfortable for him.

“We must not let our government roll out the red carpet.”

Activists pointed to Mr Herzog presiding over Israel’s war in Gaza and his past comments suggesting Palestinians bore collective blame for Hamas’s terror attack on October 7, 2023.

In the week following the attack on Israel, Mr Herzog said rhetoric about Palestinian civilians not being aware or involved was “absolutely not true”.

“It’s an entire nation out there that is responsible,” he said, before later clarifying there were “many innocent Palestinians who don’t agree”.

A United Nations Human Rights Council commission of inquiry in September found the statement might reasonably have been interpreted as inciting Israeli security forces to target Palestinians for being collectively culpable for the Hamas attack.

Mr Herzog has rejected the claim, saying his comments were taken out of context.

The upcoming visit comes after Australia rejected an offer from international partners to join a public statement condemning Israel for the demolition of an international aid organisation’s headquarters.

The foreign ministers of 11 nations, including the UK, Canada and France, strongly condemned the nation for destroying the headquarters of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in a joint statement issued on January 28.

Canberra was invited to join the most recent declaration, but declined the offer without an explanation, one diplomatic source told AAP.

Australia has consistently joined other like-minded nations, especially the UK, Canada and France, in issuing public rebukes to Israeli actions during its war in Gaza.

Israel passed laws preventing the agency from operating on its territory after it accused workers of participating in the October 7 terror attack.

A subsequent investigation found nine staff “may have been involved” and they were immediately fired, with the agency agreeing to reform and oversight measures to restore international funding.

By: Callum Godde and Dominic Giannini/AAP