Australian, Palestinian lawyers seek police probe of Israeli president

Legal groups says Australia obliged to investigate Israeli President Herzog over his role in Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza.Published On 23 Jan 2026Three Australian and Palestinian legal groups have formally called on the Australian Federal Police (AFP) to investigate Israeli President Isaac Herzog for his role in alleged war crimes amid reports he will visit Australia early next month.The organisations said on Friday that they had written to “urgently alert” the AFP of their concerns “in light of serious and credible criminal allegations of incitement to genocide and advocating genocide” by President Isaac Herzog during Israel’s “military onslaught” in Gaza since October 7, 2023.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Australian writers’ festival apologises to Palestinian author after boycottlist 2 of 4Trump’s ‘board of peace’ appears to seek wider mandate beyond Gazalist 3 of 4Australian Parliament backs tighter gun, hate crime laws after Bondi attacklist 4 of 4Australia observes day of mourning for victims of Bondi Beach mass shootingend of listThe Australian Centre for International Justice (ACIJ), Al-Haq, and the Al Mezan Center for Human Rights included a 10-page submission detailing the allegations against Herzog as well as Australia’s obligations under international law and its own domestic law.“Where credible international findings indicate incitement to genocide and where domestic accountability has not occurred, Australia has both the legal authority and responsibility to act,” Rawan Arraf, executive director at the ACIJ, said in a statement.Arraf also said that the Australian government would be showing a “blatant disregard” for its international legal obligations “by allowing Herzog to enter Australia without an AFP investigation”.Shawan Jabarin, the general director of Al-Haq, noted that Herzog has said that there are “no uninvolved civilians in Gaza” and was the head of state as Israel killed 23,000 children and 1,000 babies “before their first birthday” in Gaza.“Even the IVF clinic was bombed, destroying 4,000 human embryos and the hope of future life,” Jabarin added.