The Jewish Council of Australia has joined a growing list of groups opposed to the visit of President Isaac Herzog, who has actively cheered on the genocide in Gaza, and has led the 'Israeli' state throughout this stage of the conflict

'Fuelling the flames of division': Jewish Council joins growing list opposing Herzog visit

The Socialist Bulletin Staff - 31/1/2026

Top Photo: By Jaber Jehad Badwan - Jaber Jehad Badwan, CC BY-SA 4.0Bottom Photo: By Haim Zach / Government Press Office of Israel, CC BY-SA 3.0

THE Jewish Council of Australia has joined a growing list of organisations calling for the rescindment of 'Israeli' President Isaac Herzog's invitation to Australia, issued in the wake of the Bondi attack.

The Council joins several other prominent organisations,, such as Amnesty International, the Australia-Palestine Advocacy Network, and the Australian Centre for International Justice, in their condemnation of the impending visit, which is scheduled to take place from 8-12 February, just over a week away at the time of writing.

Herzog is part of the regime responsible for the ongoing genocide of Palestinians in Gaza, and has been on the forefront of genocide denial. He disgustingly compared South Africa's genocide case in the International Criminal Court to a 'blood libel'. He repeated the lie that his regime is doing 'all it can' to provide for the people of Gaza and minimise civilian harm. He repeated the tired falsehood that his regime is simply utilising its 'right to defend itself' following the UN-backed issuance of arrest warrants for the criminals Netanyahu and Gallant. He said that it was a 'blood libel' to accuse his regime of the bombing of Al-Ahli Arab Hospital in 2023, despite all evidence pointing to his regime having the sole responsibility for the bombing.

Mr Herzog is not a neutral figure. Mr Herzog did not even sit on the sidelines - he has been present, cheering on the genocide of at the very least 70,000 innocent civilians during the phase of the genocide that began in October of 2023. He has cheered on the amputations of more than 21,000 children, caused by rockets fired on his and Netanyahu's orders. It is deplorable that the Albanese government would invite this man who has been complicit in the murdering of an equivalent of 5 and a half Bondi attacks, every single day since 7 October 2023, as part of mourning the deaths at Bondi. It is beyond belief that the so-called 'left'-wing parliamentary party, the 'Labor' Party, would allow such a criminal to enter the country.

This publication applauds the principled stance taken by the Jewish Council, and urges all readers to attend the nearest protest on 9 February to protest the arrival of this war criminal, or to take action by emailing Penny Wong and your local Member of Parliament with your concerns about the arrival of a war criminal into Australia, and how that compares with Australia's legal requirement to stop a genocide from occurring when one is present.

The Socialist Bulletin acknowledges that we write on stolen, unceded Indigenous land. We pay our respects to First Nations elders, past, present, and emerging.