Israeli president trip defended ahead of Canberra visit

Security has been tightened in the nation’s capital ahead of Isaac Herzog’s visit to Canberra on the third day of his contentious Australian trip.

Federal frontbenchers continue to defend inviting Isaac Herzog to Australia, as authorities tighten security and warn protesters against violence ahead of the Israeli president’s arrival in the country’s capital.

Mr Herzog will arrive in Canberra, where police presence has been expanded for the next stage of the president’s four-day visit to Australia, with protests set to take place at Parliament House on Wednesday morning.

Federal minister Mark Butler said despite violent clashes between police and protesters in Sydney, the invitation to Mr Herzog to visit after the Bondi terror attack was necessary.

“This was a very clear request from a grieving Jewish community, and it’s one we listened to,” he told ABC TV on Wednesday.

“It’s been already an enormous source of comfort and solace to a community that is grieving and is frightened. And so we recognise the importance of that.

“We thought it was important to invite the president to provide that comfort to a community that is going through such a painful period.”

ACT police said there would be an expanded presence in Canberra on Wednesday.

“We will have a significant and dedicated police presence, including those from AFP Protection and Specialist Operations, on Canberra’s streets during these protests to keep everyone in the community safe,” ACT’s chief police officer Scott Lee said.

Former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said the invitation to Mr Herzog was reasonable following the Bondi attack.

“He is the head of state of a country which, while we have differences, we have very friendly relations over a long period of time,” he told ABC Radio.

“This is a time to dial the temperature down, dial the heat down, rather than allowing this visit to become an occasion for increasing the division and tension that we’ve seen too much of.”

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese hosted Mr Herzog for dinner at Kirribilli House on Tuesday night.

It followed the two leaders attending the Chabad of Bondi synagogue, where they met with the families of Bondi victims.

“The terrorists sought to instil fear in the Jewish people – we will respond with renewed Jewish pride,” Mr Herzog told the congregation.

“They sought to turn our festivals into mourning – we will come together, determined and unified, to celebrate our traditions, our heritage, our people.”

ACT independent senator David Pocock said the government should not hold a meeting with Mr Herzog during his visit to Canberra.

“The prime minister said this visit was about bringing unity, clearly that has not happened. We’ve seen police crackdowns on protesters; we’ve seen more disunity,” he said.

“The government needs to admit this was a mistake.”

The Greens have also called for the invitation to Mr Herzog to be rescinded.

It comes as police could face legal action after punching and pepper-spraying protesters during a rally against the Israeli president’s visit to Australia.

Officers were seen beating, pushing and deploying pepper spray at a Monday demonstration held after the Israeli head of state Isaac Herzog arrived in the harbour city.

NSW Premier Chris Minns defended the actions of police and said they faced “incredibly difficult” circumstances.

But videos of officers from Monday night could embroil the force in a storm of reputational and legal trouble.

“Civilians see this kind of violence so rarely in Australia, but when we do, it’s shocking,” University of Newcastle criminologist Justin Ellis told AAP.

“Police are going to have to deal with any reputational fallout.”

A message about safety, rather than officer tactics, could help reassure the public going forward, Dr Ellis said.

AAP