A faction within the Australian Labor Party has called on Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to withdraw an official invitation extended to Israel's President, Isaac Herzog, citing profound opposition to Israel's military actions in Gaza.
Internal Labor Rift Over Middle East Policy
The Labor Friends of Palestine group, which claims a membership of over 1,000 grassroots Labor supporters across the country, has formally requested the cancellation of the planned state visit. The move highlights deepening fractures within the Labor movement concerning the ongoing conflict in the Middle East and the political response to the recent antisemitic terror attack in Bondi.
The group has argued that if President Herzog does travel to Australia, the Australian Federal Police should investigate him for his alleged role in inciting genocide. This call is based on a United Nations commission's conclusion from September 2025 which stated that Herzog, alongside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and then-defence minister Yoav Gallant, had incited genocide. Israel's foreign ministry has rejected this report as "distorted and false."
Contrasting Views from the Jewish Community
The debate over the visit has also revealed divisions within Australia's Jewish community. A coalition of smaller groups, including the Jewish Council of Australia and Jewish Voices of Inner Sydney, wrote to Prime Minister Albanese this week, urging him to retract the invitation. They contend that Herzog is "not a neutral or ceremonial head of state" and that his visit risks worsening racism and antisemitism.
In stark contrast, mainstream Jewish organisations have welcomed the diplomatic gesture. Alex Ryvchin of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry stated the visit would bring "tremendous comfort to the families" affected by the Bondi attack and could help reset bilateral relations.
Legal and Diplomatic Hurdles to Action
Prime Minister Albanese announced the invitation on 24 December 2025, following the attack on Jewish Australians at the Bondi Hanukkah festival. He emphasised that inviting the head of state, as opposed to the executive prime minister, was "entirely appropriate."
However, international law experts have poured cold water on the prospect of any legal action against Herzog during his visit. Professor Donald Rothwell of the Australian National University clarified that as a sitting head of state, Herzog "unquestionably enjoys head of state immunity" and is not subject to Australian law or prosecution for crimes allegedly committed elsewhere.
Associate Professor Monique Cormier from Monash University law school concurred, stating that asking the AFP to investigate was "definitely something they cannot do" without the attorney-general's consent, which is highly improbable.
The controversy has also drawn in personal tragedy. Shamikh Badra, a Palestinian Australian who lost seven family members in Gaza, has submitted a formal complaint to Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke. He calls on the government to assess its obligations under the UN Genocide Convention, which includes the prevention and punishment of genocide.
Jeremy Leibler, president of the Zionist Federation of Australia, criticised the calls to rescind the invitation as a "troubling escalation in rhetoric" that disregards the long-standing Australia-Israel relationship. He described the invitation as an "appropriate and important gesture of solidarity" with Australians after the Bondi attack.
