AFTER THE VISIT BY ISRAELI PRESIDENT HERZOG – WHAT COMES NEXT?

 Violence on Australian Streets

Israeli President, Isaac Herzog

The violent protests against the visit to Australia of Israeli President Isaac Herzog (who was invited by Prime Minister Albanese) included the Palestine Action Group (PAG), activists from hardline Muslim groups and former Australian of the Year, Grace Tame. They were mostly the same protesters who had gloated outside the Sydney Opera House about Israel’s “humiliation” only hours after the deadly Hamas attack on 7 October 2023. The protests were led by Josh Lees, who previously led a legal battle for protesters to march across the Sydney Harbour Bridge in August 2025 when the NSW Supreme Court Judge, Belinda Rigg preferred the views of Lees over the safety concerns of senior police. Ninety thousand crossed the bridge in a “March for Humanity”.

Lees promised a peaceful demonstration at Sydney’s Town Hall square on Monday 9 February, but it didn’t turn out that way. Tame yelled out, “Israel is a fascist state engaged in genocide” and she led the crowd in chants of “From Gadigal to Gaza, globalise the Intifada” while calling President Herzog a “war criminal”. NSW Premier Chris Minns described her language as “hateful and violent” and the Jewish community leader, Alex Ryvchin remarked that “What we had at Bondi Beach (on 14 December) was exactly what Tame was calling for”.[i]

As Paul Kelly wrote in The Australian, “Eight weeks after the massacre of Jewish people at Bondi Beach, Australia’s response is deeply compromised with growing ideological conflict, hardening divisions, damage to the social fabric and battles in the streets”.

What about Prime Minister Albanese

The Prime Minister has spoken of the need for “Social Cohesion”, and in response to the violent Monday night demonstration in Sydney he remarked, “We need to turn the temperature down”. He appears to have forgotten or ignored the attacks on schools, homes, businesses and synagogues and the fact that Jewish children now go to school protected by armed guards.[ii]

Albanese insists that his government is not helping “ISIS brides” return to Australia, even though they and their children have passports issued by Australia which Albanese claims does not constitute “assistance”. Previous returnees to Australia in 2022 were interviewed multiple times by intelligence agents in Syria before they were cleared to return and, on their arrival they faced a period of monitoring by Australia’s Counter Terrorism Task force, but that does not seem to be the case now.[iii]

Although Albanese said, “I have nothing but contempt for these people”, he does absolutely nothing about it. Perhaps he should learn from an old children’s rhyme, “Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me”!

Opposition leader Angus Taylor has called on the Prime Minister to “shut the door” and he slammed Albanese over his government’s role in the plan to return ISIS brides to Australia. As shadow opposition Defence Minister, James Paterson commented, “The government can keep an Australian citizen offshore for up to 2 years while a case is built against them so that they can be charged if they ever do choose to return”.[iv]

One Nation leader, Pauline Hanson has come under fire from both Labor and the Coalition for questioning whether there were any “good Muslims”. Arguably, her comments were somewhat over the top, but that is Pauline whose polling has reached new heights. While the Australian press has suggested that Barnaby Joyce has refused to endorse her criticism of Muslims, the only statement they have been able to actually quote was Barnaby Joyce saying, “I will talk to Pauline Hanson about her comments”. Much more has been read into that simple statement by overly enthusiastic Hanson critics! One Nation may be “right wing” but they are not robotic and there are and will inevitably be differing opinions among its members.

Barnaby Joyce & Pauline Hanson

Antisemitism and Genocide

As the former deputy editor of The Australian, Shelley Gare wrote, “Now I know I live in a country far more antisemitic than I ever imagined”. She described how a non-Jewish friend said that what we in Australia are witnessing is “Bone-deep; they don’t even know they are anti-Semitic”. There are only 120,000 Australian Jews in an Australian population of 28 million. The number of anti-Zionist Jews is tiny, although the “Jewish Council of Australia” which is utterly unrepresentative of Australia’s Jewish community with around only 1000 members is an anti-Zionist Jewish organisation but is frequently quoted as an “authority” by the likes of the ABC, SBS, The Guardian and Al Jazeera.

Claims in Australia of “Gaza genocide” diminish the horror of the Holocaust when 6 million Jews were murdered by the Nazis. Auschwitz reached “peak efficiency” in 1944 when 6,000 Jews were gassed and fed into crematoria each day. That dear reader is “GENOCIDE”.[v]

The Judiciary

Australian courts seem to struggle with deciding which particular hateful phrases are “anti-Semitic”. A few days after the Bondi shooting, a Victorian magistrate had to consider whether the statement “All Zionists are terrorists” was inherently offensive. He ruled that it was not, because he wasn’t sure whether the offender concerned intended to be hateful! How could the magistrate be so “unsure”, after the mass shooting of Jews by terrorists as to declare that saying “Zionists are terrorists” is not inherently insulting? 

The Victorian Summary Offences Act 1966 prohibits the public use of insulting words in a manner which disturbs public order and yet, just as things have reached the absolutely worst point for Jews in Australia, a public official bends over backwards to read laws against the interest of the Jewish people. The only way out of this mess is by taking the law and actually applying it. As Melinda Jones suggests, the phrases which should be proscribed are: “Globalise the Intifada”; “From the River to the Sea”; “Zionism is racism”; and “All Zionists are terrorists, murderers, child killers or fascists” – INDEED.[vi]

The NSW Premier Acts

Premier Minns embarked on a campaign to turn back the latitude given to the protesters. Laws were passed giving the police Commissioner power to temporarily declare public areas restricted from assemblies. After  Commissioner Mal Lanyon said that protests would present a risk to community safety, Minns declared Hertzog’s visit a “special event” which gave the police power to close off designated areas and to order people to leave. The protesters were not going to comply and Josh Lees led the March telling the mob, “We are going to take back our streets and demand freedom and humanity”. Many of the protesters attempted to break the police line and, unsurprisingly it turned ugly resulting in the police being accused of “manhandling” some protesters. Minns defended the police, saying they had to respond in the midst of a riot.

The police were required to perform a difficult duty in the face of violent, hateful, angry and threatening protesters, some of whom prostrated themselves on the street in “prayer”. Since when does anyone in their right mind lie down in the middle of a street full of violent protesters to pray. The police did not fall for it and rightly dragged them away. In the midst of chaos, the police acted. They should be supported not criticized, nor should they be expected to apologize. They carry out a most challenging task and can hardly be expected to wear kid gloves in those circumstances.[vii] 

Legislation Against Nazi Conduct

Despite Australia’s leaders denouncing violence, the rise of anti-Semitism and attacks on Jews, they have resisted introducing new laws to confront the problem! However, language calling for “social cohesion” and requesting protesters to “turn the temperature down” will not bring change. The horror of the Bondi massacre has provided this government with both an opportunity and a pressing need to act, to take the lead and not sit back and wait to see what other nations might do.

The conduct experienced in Australia is not much different from Nazi threats, the display of Nazi symbols, Nazi salutes or Nazi memorabilia. Correction - Since the violent massacre of Jews in Bondi in December, the conduct experienced in Australia is arguably worse!

Australian and State laws prohibit the public display of Nazi symbols, including performing the “Sieg Heil” gesture. Federal laws provide for up to 12 months imprisonment while the states  go further and have higher penalties with Western Australia providing for  up to five years imprisonment.

The violence and the murder of 15 innocents for the “crime” of being Jews demands immediate and effective action with severe penalties for violent conduct, threats and attacks on the Jewish community as well as every other minority group. The time has come for Australia to stand up and to provide an example of how to respond to this crisis. Weak talk and vague promises will no longer suffice.

AUDI ALTERAM PARTEM – HEAR THE OTHER SIDE

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[i] The Australian, Palestine Action Group: Transformed Sydney streets into battlegrounds, 14 Feb 26

[ii] The Australian, A big question now hangs over Australia: Will this division actually get worse? 14 Feb 26

[iii] The Australian, Government bans one ISIS bride, but allows others to return, 19 Feb 26

[iv] Sydney Morning Herald, Albanese maintains ‘no assistance’ for ISIS brides, 18 Feb 26

[v] The Australian, Why the Holocaust still matters, by Shelley Gare, 7 Feb 26

[vi] The Australian, How a court ruling reveals Australia failing Jewish community, by Melinda Jones, 7 Feb 26

[vii] Sydney Morning Herald, Premier legislated for enforced peace – got brutality and division 12 Feb 26