Israeli President Isaac Herzog visited ASIO headquarters during Australian visit

Australia's intelligence agency has confirmed Herzog met with ASIO director Mike Burgess after senator David Pocock pressed for answers.

A man in a black suit, white shirt, blue tie and blue and white Israeli flag pin.

Isaac Herzog visited Australia in February after being invited following the Bondi terror attack. Source: Getty / Kevin Dietsch

Israeli President Isaac Herzog visited Australia's domestic spy agency during his state visit last month.

Herzog met with Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) director-general Mike Burgess at the agency's headquarters in Canberra.

ASIO has confirmed the meeting, after independent senator David Pocock pressed for answers over suggestions of a meeting during Question Time.

"Australian intelligence agencies maintain strong and enduring working relationships with their foreign partners," an ASIO spokesperson said.

"The president met with the director-general of security, and was briefed by ASIO's counter-terrorism team on their work following the Bondi attack.

Meetings such as this are important opportunities to discuss global threats and strengthen international cooperation."

Pocock said the issue had been raised with him by people in his electorate.

David Pocock, wearing a white shirt, standing in front of a beige wall.
Independent senator David Pocock said people in his electorate had raised concerns with him about Isaac Herzog visiting ASIO headquarters. Source: AAP / Mick Tsikas

"Constituents raised with me a concern that the Israeli head of state, president Isaac Herzog, visited ASIO headquarters in the course of his recent visit to Australia," Pocock said.

"The stated purpose of this visit was to provide support to Australia's Jewish community.

"A visit by a foreign head of state to the headquarters of our national security and intelligence agency would, I believe, be unprecedented."

SBS News has contacted ASIO to verify whether this claim is accurate.

"I was disappointed the government was not more forthcoming in their answer to my queries in question time and look forward to receiving further information in due course as I believe Australians deserve more transparency from their government," Pocock said.

A senior intelligence source has told SBS that while such a visit is rare, in the context of the Bondi terror attack, there was a reasonable argument that the president could hold talks with Burgess about the continuing threat faced by Jewish Australians.

The source, who asked for anonymity to speak freely, said the president would not have been privy to any secret intelligence apparatus within the ASIO headquarters during his visit.


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2 min read

Published

Updated

By Anna Henderson

Source: SBS News



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