(Communicated by the President’s Spokesperson)
On Monday, February 9, 2026, President Isaac Herzog arrived in Sydney to begin his official visit to Australia. president herzog’s first act upon arrival was to visit the site of the Bondi Beach terror attack, where he met with families of the victims and survivors of the attack. President Herzog laid a wreath on behalf of the State of Israel in memory of the victims of the attack and delivered a statement to the media at the site.
President Herzog was joined for the ceremony at Bondi Beach by the Premier of New South Wales, the Hon. Chris Minns MP; the Mayor of Waverley Council, Mr. Will Nemesh; the Chairman of the World Zionist Organization, Yaakov Hagoel; the Chairman of the Jewish Agency, Maj. Gen. (res.) Doron Almog; as well as leaders of the Australian Jewish community, including Jeremy Leibler, President of the Zionist Federation of Australia; Alon Cassuto, CEO of the Zionist Federation of Australia; David Ossip, President of the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies; and Michele Goldman, CEO of the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies.
President Herzog’s remarks at Bondi Beach:
“Just now, I laid two stones here at Bondi Beach that I brought with me from the Holy City of Jerusalem, from the Land of Israel. In Jewish tradition, we place stones on graves to represent the endurance of memory, the weight of loss, and the unbreakable bond between the living and those we have lost.
“These stones from Jerusalem, the eternal city, the eternal capital of Israel, will remain here at Bondi for eternity, in sacred memory of the victims, and as a reminder that the bonds between good people of all faiths and nations will continue to hold strong in the face of terror, violence and hatred, and that we shall overcome this evil together!
“I have just landed here in Sydney from Israel, with my wife and our delegation, for an official visit to Australia at the invitation of Governor-General Sam Mostyn, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, and the Australian Jewish community following the horrific antisemitic terror attack carried out right here on Bondi Beach on December 14, 2025.
“This very beach, beloved by the Australian people, and symbolic of all that’s great about this beautiful nation, became the scene of the deadliest terror attack in Australia’s history.
“Fifteen innocent souls, who gathered to celebrate Chanukah, the festival of light, were massacred in cold blood by two Islamist terrorists.
“The youngest victim, sweet Mathilda, was just 10 years old. The oldest was 87-year-old Alex Kleytman, who survived the extermination of six million Jews in the Holocaust, only to be murdered for being a Jew on the beaches of Sydney, Australia.
“These vile terrorists specifically and deliberately targeted our dear sisters and brothers, Australian Jews. Yet, this was also an attack on all Australians. They attacked the values that our democracies treasure: the sanctity of human life, freedom of religion, tolerance, dignity, and respect. This is how terror operates all around the world, and, sadly, Israel has faced this deadly threat of terror for many decades.
“In the face of this evil, we saw the very best of humanity. Suddenly, here on Bondi, surfboards became trenches and stretchers, as extraordinary ordinary people ran into the danger and saved innocent lives. And in the aftermath of the attack, the people of Australia stood together in grief and solidarity with the Jewish community.
“The world’s only Jewish state, the State of Israel, and the nation of Israel stood together with the Australian people. We stood with Australian Jews, for we are one big family, and when one Jew is hurt, all Jews feel their pain. That is why I am here today—to embrace and console the bereaved families.
“Antisemitism here in Australia is not a Jewish problem – it is an Australian problem and a global problem. Over the generations, one thing has become clear: hatred that starts with the Jews, never ends with the Jews. This is why the current rise in antisemitism around the world is a global emergency—and we must all act to fight against it.
“I welcome the positive steps already taken by the Australian government to tackle antisemitism since the Bondi attack. Leaders across all sectors of society must speak out clearly and consistently against antisemitism, because silence in the face of hatred is complicity.
“Let me end by praying for the souls of the victims and the speedy recovery of the wounded. May God give strength to his nation. May God bless his nation with peace.”
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