Israeli President Herzog’s visit to Australia met with protests

Thousands gathered across Australia on Monday to protest the arrival of Israeli ‍President Isaac Herzog, who is on a multi-city trip aimed at expressing solidarity with Australia’s Jewish community following a deadly mass shooting last year.Herzog is visiting Australia this week following an invitation from Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in the aftermath of the December 14 shooting at a Hanukkah event at Sydney’s Bondi Beach ⁠that killed 15.The visit has attracted the ire of some people in Australia, who accuse Herzog of being complicit in civilian deaths in Gaza. Pro-Palestine groups have organised protests in cities and towns across the country on Monday evening.In Sydney, thousands gathered in a square in the city’s central business district, listening to speeches and shouting pro-Palestine slogans.Pro-Palestinian protesters in Sydney. Photo: AFP“The Bondi massacre was terrible but from our Australian leadership there’s been no acknowledgment ‍of the Palestinian people and the Gazans,” said Jackson Elliott, a 30-year-old protester from Sydney.