Pressure is mounting on Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to cancel an official invitation extended to Israel's President, Isaac Herzog, with a significant faction within his own party voicing fierce opposition to the planned visit.
Internal Labor rift over Israel visit
The Labor Friends of Palestine group, representing over 1,000 grassroots party members across Australia, has formally called for the government to rescind its invitation. The group's demand centres on Herzog's role during Israel's military campaign in Gaza, which they allege involves incitement of genocide.
In a statement that highlights deepening fractures within the Labor movement over the Middle East conflict and responses to domestic terrorism, the group went further. They argued that if Herzog does travel to Australia, the Australian Federal Police should investigate him for his alleged support of violations of international law.
Legal experts dismiss investigation prospects
International law experts have been quick to pour cold water on the prospect of any police action. Professor Donald Rothwell of the Australian National University stated it was highly unlikely the government would take such steps. He emphasised that as a sitting head of state, Herzog enjoys full head of state immunity, shielding him from Australian law or prosecution for any alleged crimes committed outside the country.
Monique Cormier, an associate professor at Monash University law school, concurred. She stated that asking the AFP to investigate Herzog was definitively not possible, as it would require the attorney-general's consent, a scenario rendered moot by immunity protections.
Mixed reactions from Jewish community groups
The controversy has also exposed divisions within Australia's Jewish community. While mainstream groups like the Executive Council of Australian Jewry have welcomed the visit, a coalition of smaller organisations has joined the call for its cancellation.
Groups including the Jewish Council of Australia and Jewish Voices of Inner Sydney wrote to Albanese this week. They warned that Herzog's visit risked exacerbating racism and antisemitism, arguing he is not a neutral ceremonial figure but works closely with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The Zionist Federation of Australia's president, Jeremy Leibler, criticised the calls to rescind the invitation as a troubling escalation in rhetoric that overlooked Australia's long-standing relationship with Israel.
Prime Minister Albanese announced the invitation on 24 December 2025, following the deadly terrorist attack at the Bondi Hanukkah festival. He stated he had requested Governor-General Sam Mostyn to formally invite Herzog for a visit in early 2026, describing it as entirely appropriate for a head of state.
The Labor Friends of Palestine group pointed to a September 2025 report by a UN commission—which does not speak for the UN itself—that concluded Israel had committed genocide in Gaza. The commission stated Herzog, Netanyahu, and then-defence minister Yoav Gallant had incited genocide. Israel's foreign ministry rejected the report as distorted and false.
Adding a deeply personal dimension to the protest, Palestinian Australian man Shamikh Badra, who says he has lost seven family members in Gaza, has filed a formal complaint with Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke. He urges the government to assess its obligations under the UN Genocide Convention.
As the debate intensifies, the Albanese government faces a delicate diplomatic and political balancing act, caught between international alliances, internal party unity, and vocal public advocacy on a deeply polarising global conflict.
