ABC News Daily Laura Tingle on the Israeli president’s divisive visit
Feb 9, 2026
Laura Tingle, ABC Global Affairs Editor and senior political journalist, breaks down the controversy around Israeli president Isaac Herzog's visit. She discusses emotional local welcomes, heated protests and legal limits on demonstrations. She examines political fallout after the Bondi attack and how the visit reshapes Australia’s Israel–Palestine debate.
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Support Visit Became Politically Charged
- The invitation of Israeli President Isaac Herzog after the Bondi attack mixed support for Jewish victims with broader international controversy.
- That conflation made a grief-focused visit politically charged because of ongoing ICJ scrutiny of Israel's actions in Gaza.
Focus On Victims To Reduce Polarisation
- Keep the Bondi victims' grief central when discussing the visit to avoid further polarisation.
- If Herzog uses the visit to advocate peace, it could help repair social cohesion, Laura Tingle suggests.
Arrest Calls Versus Diplomatic Reality
- Calls for Herzog's arrest rest on allegations of incitement under international and Australian law, though he faces no criminal charges.
- Laura Tingle says arrest is unlikely because heads of state usually have visiting immunity and Herzog is not charged.