Israeli President Isaac Herzog has laid a wreath and two stones from Jerusalem at Bondi Beach, the site of a shooting that targeted a Jewish festival in December, at the start of a controversial visit.
When one Jew is hurt, all Jews feel their pain, he said, adding he was there to embrace and console the bereaved families.
Security has been tight for the four-day visit during which he will also travel to Canberra and Melbourne and meet Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
Senior Jewish leaders have said the trip will comfort a grieving community, but others have said he should not have been invited due to allegations he has incited genocide in Gaza.
The president was invited by Albanese after the shooting at Bondi, in which 15 people were killed, including a 10-year-old girl, at an event celebrating Hanukkah.
The prime minister has said the visit will contribute to social cohesion and a greater sense of unity after the Bondi attack but the visit is expected to be met with nationwide protests, including one in central Sydney on Monday evening.
Organisers have said 5,000 people will attend the protest, which is expected to take place despite restrictions on protests brought in by the New South Wales government after the Bondi attack.
The Palestine Action Group was on Monday also challenging a decision by the state government to invoke rarely used major event powers during Herzog's visit, which give police additional powers, including the ability to close specific locations, the right to search people and the imposing of fines of up to $5,500 (£2,839, US$3,862) for non-compliance.
Alex Ryvchin, co-chair executive of Australia's peak Jewish body, the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, on Monday said Herzog's visit was warmly welcomed, stating, For the victim families and for the survivors [of the Bondi attack], it means a great deal. His visit will lift the spirits of a pained community and we hope will lead to a much-needed recalibration of bilateral relations between two historic allies.
However, other groups, including the Jewish Council of Australia (JCA), which calls out antisemitism and supports Palestinian freedom, have criticized the invitation. JCA executive officer Sarah Schwartz described inviting Herzog as deeply offensive.
A letter organized by the JCA and signed by 600 Australian Jews was published in the Sydney Morning Herald and the Age condemning the visit.
Herzog’s presence is further complicated by recent accusations against him from a UN commission, which concluded he was among Israeli leaders who had incited the commission of genocide. Despite this, Herzog stated he came to Australia in goodwill, emphasizing the historical friendship between Israel and Australia.
In response to the planned protests, Herzog remarked that they undermine his nation’s rights and contribute to rising antisemitism globally. Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong has acknowledged the sensitivities surrounding the visit, urging critics to consider the context of the mourning community affected by the Bondi attack.
