MELBOURNE – President Isaac Herzog delivered a pointed message to the anti-Israel protestors who have dogged his visit to Australia: protest against Iran, not Israel and the Australian Jews who support it.
Addressing some 4,000 people at a large communal event on the last day of his solidarity visit following the deadly Bondi terror attack in December, Herzog said it was “obscure and odd” that heavy police protection was needed to ensure Jews could gather peacefully with the president of Israel.
“To all those protesters outside,” he said, “go protest in front of the Iranian embassy.” He said Iran operates an “empire of evil” responsible for mass bloodshed and said Israel was “literally protecting the free world and its values” by combating that threat.
Herzog’s remarks came against the backdrop of ongoing anti-Israel demonstrations that have accompanied his four-day visit to Australia.
Thousands of police protected Herzog and his entourage, as anti-Israel activists called for a mass protest in Melbourne, similar to what took place Monday in Sydney.
A planned visit by Herzog to the Addas Israel synagogue that was the target of an antisemitic arson attack was canceled because of security concerns.
Herzog said he was leaving Australia strengthened by what he called the “unbreakable” spirit of its Jews.
He urged Australian Jews to wear their Jewish identity and Zionism proudly and “not be afraid to show who you are,” calling the struggle against antisemitism a fight not only for Jewish identity but for “the identity of Australia and the free world.”