Multicultural Affairs Minister Anne Aly has confirmed she supports Israeli President Isaac Herzog's visit to Australia, after previously stopping short of explicitly endorsing it.
Herzog will make a five-day visit to Australia to meet with federal members and commemorate the victims of the Bondi terror attack, in which 15 people were killed at a Hanukkah celebration.
The Israeli president, who was invited to visit Australia in the aftermath of the shootings, will tour from 8-12 February.
In an interview with ABC radio on Thursday morning, Aly said the invitation was "protocol" as they are typically extended after "an attack where foreign individuals have been the targets".
When pressed further, she said: "He was invited to commemorate and to remember the victims of the Bondi terror attack."
Aly, a Muslim MP, later said she "understood the significance of the visit" and honouring the victims of the antisemitic attack, urging "unity".
"Our country needs to come together in unity and I welcome anything that assists that process," she said in a statement.
Albanese dismissed concerns when questioned about Aly's initial hesitation to endorse the visit at a press conference on Wednesday afternoon.
"I look forward to visiting and I note that Anne Aly has made appropriate comments as well ... welcoming anything that leads to a greater sense of unity. We need to build social cohesion in this country," Albanese told reporters on Thursday afternoon.
Herzog's visit could be met with nationwide protests, with the Palestinian Action Group (PAG) saying it is coordinating marches across capital cities on 9 February.
PAG spokesperson Josh Lees said thousands will gather across the country to ensure Herzog knows he is "not welcome here".
"If he steps foot in this country, he should be arrested and investigated for the war crimes that he is alleged to have carried out, including inciting genocide in Gaza," Lees said in a video posted to social media.
A United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry (COI), which does not speak on behalf of the world body and has faced harsh Israeli criticism, concluded in September that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza.
The commission also accused Herzog, former defence minister Yoav Gallant, and Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu of genocidal intent.
Israel also faces an ongoing genocide case in the International Court of Justice. The court is yet to issue its final ruling.
Israel has repeatedly denied it is committing genocide in Gaza and says it has a right to defend itself.
Israel "categorically" rejected the COI's report, labelling it "distorted and false". Netanyahu has said the ICJ case is "outrageous" and that his country has an "unwavering commitment" to international law.
Herzog's visit has also prompted Labor's Friends of Palestine, a group of grassroots members, to write an open letter to Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke, asking whether the Israeli president passes the character test under the Migration Act.
The group argues that allowing Herzog to visit would make "a mockery of all the fine words about hate speech, social cohesion, unity and healing".
Independent MP raises concerns
On Thursday, independent MP Sophie Scamps warned that Herzog's visit may stoke further division.
"For all of us after Bondi the priority ought to be the safety and security of the Jewish community," Scamps said in a statement.
"Inviting a divisive figure, even a head of state, can only invite division and further risk."
Australia Israel & Jewish Affairs Council executive director Colin Rubenstein expressed disappointment that the visit had become politicised.
"Our view is that, after Bondi, Herzog's visit is not only appropriate, but an essential part of the healing process," he said.
Alex Ryvchin, co-CEO of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, welcomed Herzog's visit, stating it would bring "tremendous comfort to the families" of Bondi victims and "hopefully a reset of the bilateral relationship".
The Jewish Council of Australia (JCA), a progressive group formed in 2024 to represent non-Zionist Jews in Australia and is critical of Israel's actions in Gaza, has called for Herzog's invitation to be rescinded.
"By inviting Herzog to visit, Albanese is using Jewish grief as a political prop and diplomatic backdrop," JCA executive officer Sarah Schwartz said.
"Inviting a foreign head of state who is implicated in an ongoing genocide as a representative of the Jewish community is deeply offensive and risks entrenching the dangerous and antisemitic conflation between Jewish identity and the actions of the Israeli state.
"This does not make Jews safer. It does the opposite."
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