Isaac Herzog’s four days in Australia left him ‘energised’. For the Jewish community, some saw solidarity while others felt ‘serious angst’ | Bondi beach terror attack

This week’s visit to Australia by the Israeli president, Isaac Herzog, has lived up to its controversial billing as police in Sydney clashed with protesters and Muslims praying in the street with such violence it sparked an independent investigation, and the guest of honour went from place to place in secrecy and high security.

Anthony Albanese said the visit would help to foster unity in Australia and that the Israeli president came “to offer sympathy and solidarity to people who are mourning and offer his support to members of Australia’s Jewish community” following the Bondi beach terror attack where 15 people attending a Hanukah celebration were killed.

For his part, Herzog told a gathering of Melbourne’s Jewish community that he had been buoyed by “hope” during his visit. He would, he said, return to Israel feeling empowered after “seeing first-hand the beauty in this community”.

“While we came to give strength to you, we leave with more strength. We came to give inspiration and we leave inspired and energised.”

While not unanimously endorsed, much of Australia’s Jewish community has been supportive of Herzog’s visit.

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The co-chief executive of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry Alex Ryvchin said the visit of the president – “a statesman” and a scion of one of Israel’s most famous families – was a “tremendous success”, especially for the families of victims of the massacre.

“I could see how much it meant to them. I could see some of them weeping in his arms and the arms of the first lady. It’s a sad reality that the president of Israel has probably comforted more victims of terror than anyone in the world, and it was sincere.

“With Jewish people around the world seeing what happened in Bondi, it was extremely personal to them to feel that connection to the Jewish world.”

The NSW Jewish Board of Deputies president, David Ossip, said Herzog’s visit was “an important practical step towards peace”.

Herzog insisted he came with a diplomatic purpose too, “to bring the relations between our nations on a new beginning and a better future”, a scarcely veiled reference to Australia’s decision to formally recognise the state of Palestine last year.

Albanese repeatedly emphasised this week that Herzog was the Israeli head of state – the equivalent to the Australian governor general – and therefore any criticism of the Netanyahu government should not be directed at him.

At Bondi, Jewish-Australian mother Yvonne, injured during the massacre sheltering her two-year-old son, said Herzog’s visit “from the other side of the world” was a vital symbol of unity and support.

“It’s really important,” she said on Monday, as she stood on crutches. “It shows solidarity. It made us realise no matter where we are in the world we’ll still be supported … that we’re not alone.”

But there is also significant disquiet within Australia’s Jewish community.

Jesse McNicoll, from Jewish Voices of Inner Sydney, said he was disgusted that Herzog had been invited to Australia.

“It was always going to be very divisive. It was always going to create serious angst in the Palestinian and … Arab communities that are our brothers and sisters. It’s also created a really dangerous idea in people’s minds – actually an antisemitic trope – that Jews have dual loyalty to Israel.”

McNicoll said there were many Jews in Australia who opposed the actions of the state of Israel, but could not say so “for fear of ostracisation”.

“It saddens me that a lot of people in the Jewish community are [engaging in] what people sometimes describe as intra-communal violence, where people who are really staunchly pro-Israel are really vilifying Jewish people who are not.

“In a way that’s brought people who are really concerned about what Israel is doing together. That’s created a really strong sense of community among Jews who don’t want to be defined by the atrocities that Israel is committing.”

Herzog’s visit has even divided Jewish families. Sarah did not want to give her full name because it would upset her elderly parents.

“My parents and I are at the opposite extreme. They were at the Herzog event at the [International Convention Centre] while I was at the protest.

“They call the Palestine Justice Movement ‘hate marches’. They’re adamant those are antisemitic. The way I see it, they’re … unable to look at any of the facts because they’re so deeply invested in propaganda.”

Sarah said she has been called a “self-hating Jew” by people she believed were friends, and condemned for not raising her children Jewish.

“I feel grateful to be able to go to protests against the war in Gaza. The genocide continues. I feel grateful for the welcome that everybody there gives the Jews who are there.”