Wong Backs Israeli President’s Visit Amid Dissent From Pro-Palestine Groups

Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s visit is aimed at offering support for the Australian Jewish community rocked by the Bondi terror attack.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Senator Penny Wong listens in the Senate Chamber at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia on Nov. 3, 2025. Hilary Wardhaugh/Getty Images

Australia’s Foreign Minister Penny Wong is standing by a planned visit by Israeli President Isaac Herzog, calling it a “good thing” in the face of opposition from pro-Palestinian groups.

Wong said the visit carried significance for Australia’s Jewish community following the Bondi Beach terror attack that targeted a Hanukkah celebration in Sydney on Dec. 14.

Speaking to Sky News on Jan. 13,  she called Herzog’s visit an “important signal of the importance for many, for the Jewish community, of our relationship with Israel.”

She declined to provide details of the visit, saying she would leave any announcements to the prime minister.

Her comments came days after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirmed the federal government would proceed with the visit, despite calls for the invitation to be withdrawn.

Details of the invitation emerged publicly on Dec. 23, when Albanese posted on X about a phone call with Herzog after the attack.

The post said Herzog accepted the invitation.

Government Rejects Reset Claims

Wong dismissed suggestions that the visit was aimed at repairing strained ties with Israel following public criticism from their Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“Those ties (trust) exist, and we will continue to engage respectfully with the Government of Israel, as we do with all other governments,” she said.

Israel’s prime minister accused the Albanese government of failing to act against anti-Semitism in the lead-up to the Bondi terror attack that killed 15 people and injured 40 others.

Relations have been strained after the Australian Labor government blocked visas for Israeli ministers and a former minister from entering the country.

In response, Israel revoked visas for Australian diplomats in occupied Palestine.

Protests Planned Nationwide

Several pro-Palestinian organisations have announced plans to protest Herzog’s visit.

Labor Friends of Palestine, a group made up of more than 60 federal parliamentarians, has written to Albanese to withdraw the invitation.

In a social media post, the group said the federal government should “withdraw its invitation to this divisive and inflammatory figure” and called for Herzog to be “investigated for war crimes” should he enter Australia.

Students for Palestine has also announced plans for nationwide protests. After holding a march in Melbourne on Jan. 11, the group said further demonstrations would be organised once Herzog’s arrival date is confirmed.

“We will announce details of when and where as soon as we hear about his arrival date,” the group posted on social media on Jan. 12, citing findings by a United Nations Commission of Inquiry that accused Herzog of having “incited the commission of genocide” in Gaza.

Jewish Groups Support Visit

Jewish organisations have welcomed confirmation of Herzog’s visit, describing it as an important show of solidarity following the Bondi terror attack.

The Zionist Federation of Australia said the visit would be meaningful for a community still grappling with the aftermath of the attack.

In the days following the incident, ZFA President Jeremy Leibler wrote to Herzog on behalf of the local Jewish community, inviting him to visit Australia.