Speaking to the press in Canberra on Wednesday morning, Prime Minister Albanese announced that President Herzog’s upcoming visit would serve to “honor and remember the victims of the antisemitic terrorist attack in Bondi, while also providing support to Jewish Australians and the broader Australian Jewish community during this period.”

Leibler reflected on the community’s response, stating, “In the aftermath of the Bondi attack, we reached out directly to President Herzog. This incident was not just an assault on individuals; it deeply affected the sense of safety that Jewish Australians have cherished for generations.”

On the social media platform X, Herzog expressed his sympathies, writing, “I extend my heartfelt condolences to the victims’ families and offer my prayers for the swift recovery of those injured.”

The specifics of Herzog’s visit are anticipated to be finalized soon. The Zionist Federation of Australia (ZFA) indicated that the visit is slated for “early in the new year.”

Kozminsky criticized the invitation as “divisive,” suggesting it wouldn’t foster healing within the Australian community. He emphasized the need for government action to strengthen gun laws, uphold protest rights, implement the Australian Human Rights Commission’s anti-racism framework, regulate companies spreading online hate, and encourage grassroots cross-cultural initiatives.

Haaretz reported President Herzog’s remarks on the troubling events of October 7, acknowledging the stark reality witnessed by many. He noted the involvement of numerous Gaza residents in the violence and looting, and the unsettling scenes of crowds in Gaza cheering as Israelis were brutally attacked, echoing the grim events of that day.

However, he added that there was a “reality cannot be ignored, a reality which we all saw with our own eyes as published by Hamas on that cursed day, and that was the involvement of many residents of Gaza in the slaughter, in the looting, and in the riots of October 7. How the crowds in Gaza cheered at the sight of Israelis being slaughtered and their bodies mutilated,” Haaretz reported the president as saying.

‘A grave moral failure’

The Australia Palestine Advocacy Network (APAN) also condemned the decision to invite Herzog to Australia.