Israel's President, Isaac Herzog, has accepted an official invitation to visit Australia in the wake of the Bondi Junction terror attack, signalling a potential warming of diplomatic relations between the two nations.
Invitation Extended Following Tragic Attack
President Herzog announced via social media platform X late on Tuesday night that he had received a call from Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. The Prime Minister informed him that Australia's Governor-General would be issuing a formal invitation for a state visit.
Herzog confirmed he accepted the invitation and intends to travel to Australia in "the near future." The visit follows a separate invitation from the President of the Zionist Federation of Australia.
Conversation Focused on Bondi Tragedy and Rising Antisemitism
In his conversation with Prime Minister Albanese, President Herzog said he expressed his "profound shock and dismay" over the Bondi terror attack, in which the Jewish community was specifically targeted by two gunmen.
"I conveyed my heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims and my prayers for a speedy recovery for all those injured," Herzog stated.
The Israeli leader also emphasised the critical need for action, "underscoring the importance of taking all legal measures to combat the unprecedented rise in antisemitism, extremism, and jihadist terror."
Community Hopes Visit Will Heal Rifts
Executive Council of Australian Jewry co-chief executive Alex Ryvchin said the news of the invitation immediately made him think of his friend, Rabbi Eli Schlanger, one of the 15 people killed in the attack.
Ryvchin reflected that Schlanger "always spoke about the need for friends to reconcile, to put their differences behind them, to be the bigger person, to reach out."
"I feel like that's what's happened here," Ryvchin said. "For two years the relationship has been in decline, there's been some real ruptures in it, but at the same time this is a long standing decades old friendship between two countries and sometimes it takes a tragedy like this to bring people together, to give that sense of perspective."
He added that he was "glad" for the families of the victims and those still hospitalised, who he believes will be "buoyed" by the news of the upcoming visit.
Twelve people remain in various hospitals across Sydney for injuries sustained during the Bondi shooting, with five reported to be in a critical but stable condition.
