What Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s visit tells us about “social cohesion”

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese continued to maintain this week that Israeli President Isaac Herzog was formally invited to Australia by the federal government to help foster “a greater sense of unity” and as a comfort to the Jewish community, still reeling from the Bondi Beach terrorist attack. But it was clear from the outset that there was also real anger from people — including Jewish people — over the government hosting an individual cited by the UN Commission as "directly and publicly incited the commission of genocide in contravention of Article III(c) of the Genocide Convention". Nationwide protests against Herzog’s presence kicked off in Sydney, with violent clashes between police and protesters making global headlines.Crikey’s legal correspondent Michael Bradley joins the podcast to explain whether hosting Herzog is a breach of international law, why the Sydney protest was not “illegal”, and how instances of alleged police brutality connect to the special powers granted to NSW Police. If the Albanese government’s goal is to calm public tensions — as he keeps insisting — did Herzog’s visit help or hurt? Read more:A view from the ground: As police argued with MPs, Sydney’s protest against Isaac Herzog descended into chaosNothing says cohesion like a punch in the head: Violence of Minns’ goons exposes the lie of ‘social cohesion’Why people are protesting Israel’s head of state visiting Australia next weekSign up to Crikey’s free newsletter: https://bit.ly/crikey-newsletterCrikey’s independent journalism is supported by readers — 98% of our revenue comes from our subscribers. We’re not accountable to billionaires; we’re accountable to you. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.