\n<\/p>\n
Three Australian and Palestinian legal groups have formally called on the Australian Federal Police (AFP) to investigate Israeli President Isaac Herzog for his role in alleged war crimes amid reports he will visit Australia early next month.<\/p>\n
The organisations said on Friday that they had written to \u201curgently alert\u201d the AFP of their concerns \u201cin light of serious and credible criminal allegations of incitement to genocide and advocating genocide\u201d by President Isaac Herzog during Israel\u2019s \u201cmilitary onslaught\u201d in Gaza since October 7, 2023.<\/p>\n
The Australian Centre for International Justice (ACIJ), Al-Haq, and the Al Mezan Center for Human Rights included a 10-page submission detailing the allegations against Herzog as well as Australia\u2019s obligations under international law and its own domestic law.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere credible international findings indicate incitement to genocide and where domestic accountability has not occurred, Australia has both the legal authority and responsibility to act,\u201d Rawan Arraf, executive director at the ACIJ, said in a statement.<\/p>\n
Arraf also said that the Australian government would be showing a \u201cblatant disregard\u201d for its international legal obligations \u201cby allowing Herzog to enter Australia without an AFP investigation\u201d.<\/p>\n
Shawan Jabarin, the general director of Al-Haq, noted that Herzog has said that there are \u201cno uninvolved civilians in Gaza\u201d and was the head of state as Israel killed 23,000 children and 1,000 babies \u201cbefore their first birthday\u201d in Gaza.<\/p>\n
\u201cEven the IVF clinic was bombed, destroying 4,000 human embryos and the hope of future life,\u201d Jabarin added.<\/p>\n
Herzog is due to visit Sydney on February 7, The Times of Israel newspaper reports, at the invitation of Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in the wake of last month\u2019s mass shooting<\/span> that targeted a Jewish celebration at Bondi Beach and left 15 people dead.<\/p>\n Albanese told reporters in December that the Australian government had extended an invitation to Herzog \u201cto honour and remember victims of the Bondi anti-Semitic terrorist attack and provide support for Jewish Australians and the Australian Jewish community at this time\u201d.<\/p>\n However, Jewish Council of Australia executive member Ohad Kozminsky told Australian public broadcaster SBS last month that a visit from Herzog following the Bondi attack \u201cwill only inflame tensions and exacerbate division in our community\u201d, considering he is the \u201chead of a foreign country that has been committing genocide\u201d.<\/p>\n Australia\u2019s federal parliament has introduced tough new gun reform laws in the wake of the attack, as well as hate speech reforms that have prompted concerns from advocates over some far-reaching provisions.<\/p>\n The Jewish Council of Australia said in a statement that while \u201csome of the most contentious provisions\u201d were removed before the legislation was quickly passed earlier this week, others remained, including \u201cenhanced ministerial powers to deport migrants based on arbitrary decision-making\u201d.<\/p>\n The council said on Wednesday that 60,000 people had signed its petition calling on Australian \u201cleaders to reject attempts to weaponise Jewish grief, erode civil liberties, or pit communities against one another in the aftermath of the antisemitic attack at Bondi\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cOne month on, instead of space for mourning and healing, we are watching our grief and anger being turned into a political weapon to demonise Palestinians, Muslims, migrants and the anti-genocide protest movement,\u201d Kozminsky said in a statement.<\/p>\n \u201cJewish safety is not strengthened by rushed political deals or parliamentary chaos,\u201d Kozminsky said.<\/p>\n \u201cIt will be strengthened by calm, consistent measures to combat antisemitism, and by protecting all communities from racism and violence including Muslims, Palestinians, and migrant Australians who are also being unfairly targeted in the wake of this tragedy,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n