Australia Charges Teenager Over Alleged Online Death Threats Against Israeli President
The Australian Federal Police (AFP) has formally charged a 19-year-old man over alleged online death threats made against Israeli President Isaac Herzog, as Sydney prepares for heightened security measures and planned protests ahead of the Israeli leader's official visit. According to Reuters, the teenager allegedly posted the threats on a social media platform last month, targeting what authorities described as "a foreign head of state and internationally protected person."
Legal Proceedings and Police Investigation Details
The offence carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in jail under Australian law. While police did not publicly identify the specific target, Australian media widely reported the alleged threats were directed at President Herzog. Additionally, The Sydney Morning Herald reported the teenager allegedly made threats against former U.S. President Donald Trump as well.
The accused man was refused police bail and is scheduled to appear before a court in Sydney on Thursday. During a search of a home in Sydney on Wednesday, police seized a mobile phone and equipment allegedly used for making or using drugs. This development comes just days before President Herzog's anticipated arrival in Australia, adding to the already tense atmosphere surrounding his visit.
Herzog's Sydney Visit: Schedule and Security Protocols
President Isaac Herzog is expected to land in Australia on Sunday, beginning a five-day program that includes meetings with federal leaders and members of Sydney's Jewish community. The visit follows an invitation extended by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese after the deadly shooting at Bondi Beach on December 14, when 15 people were killed during a Jewish Hanukkah celebration.
During commemorations in Sydney, Herzog is expected to meet survivors and families of victims from that tragic attack. Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles confirmed that Herzog would be treated in line with standard security protocols for visiting leaders, stating, "He will be a welcomed and honoured guest" in an interview with ABC News on Thursday.
Political Controversy Surrounding the Visit
While some Jewish organizations have framed Herzog's visit as a gesture of solidarity amid rising antisemitism, the trip has drawn sharp criticism from pro-Palestine groups and a segment of Jewish Australians who oppose Israel's actions in Gaza. Herzog's arrival has prompted planned protests in major cities, including Sydney, where organizers have called for a "mass, peaceful gathering."
The Palestine Action Group (PAG) has urged supporters to rally on Monday and march to the New South Wales state parliament, despite restrictions that limit organizers' ability to gain authorization for moving demonstrations. New South Wales Police extended those restrictions this week, citing "significant animosity" from some groups ahead of the Israeli president's visit.
Police Restrictions and Free Speech Concerns
NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon defended the decision to extend protest restrictions, arguing that public safety must take priority. "Free speech comes with responsibility, this is a time for calm, this is a time for the community to come together," Lanyon stated. Although the declaration does not explicitly prohibit protests, it restricts organizers from obtaining formal authorization that could protect them from arrest for obstructing roads or pedestrians.
Protesters can also be issued a move-on direction, even if participating in a static demonstration. Commissioner Lanyon said he had not been pressured politically to extend the restrictions but acknowledged the Israeli visit was among the factors considered in the decision.
Support and Opposition Within Jewish Communities
A number of prominent Jewish bodies and advocacy organizations have backed the trip, including the Zionist Federation of Australia, the Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ), and the Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council (AIJAC). AIJAC executive director Colin Rubenstein described the visit as significant for the community following the Bondi attack and the broader climate of antisemitism.
"The visit comes at a particularly important time for Australia's Jewish community following the tragic events at Bondi and the surge of antisemitism across the country, offering a powerful message of solidarity and support," Rubenstein said in a statement. He added that Herzog's presence would form part of a broader communal recovery, calling it "an essential part of the healing process."
However, opposition to the visit extends beyond pro-Palestine activists. The progressive Jewish Council of Australia (JCA) has criticized the invitation, arguing it risks instrumentalizing grief from the Bondi attack while Israel faces international legal scrutiny over its conduct in Gaza. JCA executive officer Sarah Schwartz stated: "Inviting a foreign head of state who is implicated in an ongoing genocide as a representative of the Jewish community is deeply offensive and risks entrenching the dangerous and antisemitic conflation between Jewish identity and the actions of the Israeli state."
Background on President Isaac Herzog
Isaac Herzog entered the Knesset in 2003 as a member of the Israeli Labor Party and later led the party from 2013 to 2018. In 2021, the Knesset elected Herzog president—a role that is largely ceremonial but carries significant symbolic influence as Israel's head of state and a supposed figure of national unity. He succeeded his father, Chaim Herzog, who served as president from 1983 to 1993.
While the presidency is not an executive office, Herzog has often echoed the position of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing coalition during the Gaza war. Herzog has faced sustained criticism over public remarks made after Hamas' October 7 attack on southern Israel in 2023, which triggered the current conflict.
International Scrutiny and Controversial Statements
In the days following the October 7 attack, Herzog said: "It's an entire nation out there that is responsible." A United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry (COI) concluded in September that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza and said Herzog, Netanyahu, and former defense minister Yoav Gallant had "incited the commission of genocide" in their speeches and statements.
The commission noted that Herzog's comments were not a literal call for genocide but could reasonably be interpreted—in the context of Israel's military response—as incitement to target Palestinians in Gaza as a group. Herzog has strongly denied these allegations, saying his remarks were taken out of context.
In December 2023, Herzog was photographed writing the message "I rely on you" on an artillery shell intended for use in Gaza—an image that has been repeatedly cited by critics as emblematic of political support for the military campaign. Israel has categorically rejected the COI's findings as "distorted and false" and is separately defending a genocide case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
Dispute Over Gaza Famine Claims
Adding to the controversy, President Herzog has disputed assessments of starvation in Gaza. He rejected the United Nations-backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification Famine Review Committee's declaration of starvation in Gaza, arguing there was a "huge amount" of aid entering the territory via trucks and airdrops. Herzog blamed the UN for incorrectly distributing aid and Hamas for controlling supplies, repeating Israel's position that there was a "man-made shortage" of aid getting into the strip.
Nationwide Protests Planned During Visit
With Herzog's visit approaching, organizers have called for nationwide protests opposing his official trip. In Sydney, the planned PAG march from Town Hall to state parliament would pass through the protest restriction zone, setting up a likely legal and operational flashpoint for police. Prime Minister Albanese has urged the public to "recognise the solemn nature of the visit" and "bear in mind by the way that they respond over the coming weeks."
The convergence of legal action against the teenager, heightened security measures, planned protests, and deep community divisions ensures that President Herzog's visit to Sydney will unfold under intense scrutiny and significant tension.
