President Isaac Herzog continued his state visit to Australia on Tuesday, with the day’s events centered on commemoration and solidarity with the Jewish community following the deadly terror attack at Bondi Beach during last Hanukkah.
One of the main events of the morning was a visit to the Chabad synagogue in Bondi, led by Rabbi Yehoram Ulman, the father-in-law of Rabbi Eli Schlanger, of blessed memory, who was killed in the attack. Children who were orphaned in the Bondi Beach massacre stood alongside the president and recited the tradtional Kaddish prayer of the bereaved in memory of their loved ones.
Earlier in the day, Herzog visited the site of the Bondi Beach attack, where 15 people were murdered during Hanukkah celebrations. He laid a wreath at the scene to honor the victims.
At the same time, protests by pro-Palestinian activists took place near Sydney Town Hall. According to Reuters, Australian police deployed additional forces and were granted special authority to limit protesters’ movement and disperse crowds, amid concerns over potential disturbances surrounding the president’s motorcade.
Responding to questions about the demonstrations, President Herzog said the protests were aimed at denying Israel’s right to exist. “These demonstrations, in most cases, what is heard and seen in them is intended to undermine and deny our right to exist, and that is in complete contradiction to what Australia has said and done."