Published: 12 February 2026
Last updated: 13 February 2026
Michal Herzog is no stranger to noisy demonstrations. Disagreement is ingrained in the Israeli national character. She also knew beforehand that when her husband, Israeli President Isaac Herzog, agreed to fly here to offer comfort and solidarity to Australia’s Jewish community, that the communal welcome would be accompanied by a very different reception on the streets.
But before she responds to the ugly confrontations in Sydney on Monday night, Herzog wants to focus on the reason for their visit, she tells The Jewish Independent in a sit-down interview the day after the protests.
“We're here to show the Jewish community of Australia that you're not alone. I know it has been a shock. Today we met the families, we met survivors, we met first responders. We hear that the Jewish community is not going to be the same, and Australia is not going to be the same. So, it was important to come here in person and show, with our actions, that the community is not alone.”
Herzog is still affected by her own experiences during the previous 24 hours, having laid a wreath at Bondi Beach and visited Moriah College before attending a rousing Jewish community event at the International Convention Centre.
“The event we attended on Monday night was amazing. It was a strong show of solidarity, of compassion, of humanity. And it was very moving. It was one of those evenings you walk out with a ‘wow effect’.”
Comments4
Dan18 February at 08:32 am
So “Rachel” and “John” appear to be upset about my comments highlighting the fact that horrific abuse, including sexual abuse, of detainees at Sde Teiman has become so widespread that even Israeli authorities were forced to take action after scores of detainees had been murdered by their beloved IDF soldiers. Reports from the Israeli human rights group B’Tselem includes whistleblowers from inside the camp and highlights the atrocities committed there with the full support of fellow Zionists.
https://www.btselem.org/node/216226
https://www.btselem.org/publications/202408_welcome_to_hell
Of course “John” has a “hunch” that this is not occuring. Just like Germans during in WW2 “John” appears to either be wilfully ignorant about the atrocities being commited or, as I suspect, tacitly supportive of these crimes.
As for Rachel’s claim that “when it comes to the IDF sexual abuse, once unveiled, is treated as the crime it is”, in reality the exact opposite happened. The IDF rapists at Sde Teiman became national heroes in Israel. A riot was organised to protest the charges against them (which included powerful Israeli politicians) and they became TV celebrities.
Facts like these aren’t “blood libels” just because you refuse to believe the truth about IDF crimes.
Rachel Sussman13 February at 12:53 pm
A wonderful article and interview, thank you.
As for ‘Dan’ who made a comment accusing the IDF with sexual abuse of Palestinians ‘to death’, I suggest he checks his facts…
It is true that tragically some sexual abuse was unveiled at SdeTeman following October 7, such is never excusable and the ones who committed these crimes have been, and are, approrpiately dealt with, but how generalising it is to use this extreme incident to make vast claims of ongoing sexual abuse behaviour!
It sounds like ‘Dan’ has little faith and is quick to judge and generalise, how sad really… I suggest ‘Dan’ remembers that when it comes to the IDF sexual abuse, once unveiled, is treated as the crime it is, even when some object and try to excuse it, and this speaks for itself.
John13 February at 06:54 am
Dan, I don’t know the facts regarding your allegations, but my hunch is that you are exaggerating the facts.
Whatever sexual abuse that occurs in war, it is all abhorrent and inhumane.
Mrs Herzog makes valid comments about the way the Jewish women who were victims were failed through not being recognised and acknowledged and mourned by their non-Jewish sisters.
Dan12 February at 08:12 am
On the topic of “sexual violence as a weapon of war” it is impossible to ignore the heinous sexual violence committed by Israeli soldiers against Palestinians.
The crimes committed by Israeli soldiers against Palestinians are so heinous they rank among the most worst war crimes in recent history. These crimes have been shamefully fully supported by the majority of both Israeli society and the worldwide Jewish community.
Israeli soldiers have been raping Palestinian detainees to death at the Sde Teiman concentration camp.
The frequency of offending has gotten so bad there that IDF Military Advocate General was compelled to launch a criminal investigation to try to ward off international condemnation. Unfortunately, but not surprisingly, after being charged by the Military Advocate General the sadistic Sde Teiman guards became TV celebrities in Israel with huge support from the Israeli public and wider Jewish community. Meanwhile the military investigator herself ended up getting arrested and charged for her part in leaking a video that specifically showed the guards raping a Palestinian man.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-11-04/israeli-military-lawyer-arrest-highlights-abuse-of-palestinians/105963704
But something tells me the “First Lade of Israel” is not at all interested in combating this occurence of “sexual violence as a weapon of war”.