The Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (Asio) has confirmed that Israeli President Isaac Herzog held a secret meeting with its director-general, Mike Burgess, during his visit to Australia last month. The confirmation came after Senator David Pocock questioned Foreign Minister Penny Wong in the Senate about the meeting, which was not listed on Herzog's public schedule.
Senator Pocock described the meeting as 'unprecedented', stating that granting a foreign head of state access to a domestic intelligence agency raised concerns about transparency. Wong initially declined to confirm or deny the meeting, citing the sensitivity of Asio matters, but later an Asio spokesperson confirmed that Herzog was briefed by the agency's counter-terrorism team on their work following the Bondi attack.
The Asio spokesperson emphasised the importance of such meetings for discussing global threats and strengthening international cooperation. However, Israel is not a member of the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing network, which includes Australia, the US, the UK, Canada, and New Zealand.
Herzog's visit to Australia was intended as a gesture of solidarity following the antisemitic Bondi massacre in December, but it sparked significant controversy and protests. Critics accused the government of inviting a leader from a state accused of genocide in Gaza, and Herzog himself has been named by a UN commission of inquiry for inciting genocide, a claim Israel rejects.
The confirmation of the Asio meeting has intensified debate over the government's handling of Herzog's visit and the transparency of Australia's intelligence operations.
