AFP photo.
Melbourne: Jews in Australia protested Israeli President Isaac Herzog visiting the nation, saying that he does not speak for them and he is not welcome. Following his arrival, large-scale protests erupted in Sydney on Monday evening, which turned violent.
According to the Associated Press, the Jewish Council of Australia ran full-page ads in Sydney and Melbourne newspapers on Monday, endorsed with the names of 687 Australian Jews, that said: "Herzog does not speak for us and is NOT WELCOME HERE."
"We refuse to let our collective grief be used to legitimise a leader whose rhetoric has been part of inciting a genocide against Palestinians in Gaza and has contributed to the illegal annexation of the West Bank," the council's executive officer, Sarah Schwartz, said.
Jewish leaders initiated the invitation extended by Governor-General Sam Mostyn, Australia's equivalent of Israel's president, at Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's request.
Albanese and his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu have been openly hostile toward each other since the Australian announced six months ago that his government would recognise a Palestinian state.
On Monday, Herzog said he welcomed the "positive steps" the Australian government had taken to tackle antisemitism since the Bondi attack, which was allegedly inspired by the Islamic State group.
New South Wales state parliament rushed through legislation increasing police powers to arrest protesters.
Police can restrict protests for two weeks at a time for up to 90 days following a declared terrorist attack. Police last week continued the restrictions for another two weeks in an effort to contain civil discord in Sydney during Herzog's visit.
On Monday evening, police clashed with hundreds of demonstrators gathered outside Sydney Town Hall. They sprayed the crowd with pepper spray, and several protesters were arrested.
The protest had continued after the Palestine Action Group organisers lost a court challenge to a police order preventing them from marching from the Town Hall to the New South Wales Parliament.
In Melbourne, 5,000 protesters gathered outside downtown Flinders Street Railway Station, then marched several blocks to the State Library, blocking evening peak-hour traffic, police said.
A 20-year-old woman was arrested after allegedly burning two flags and causing fire damage to a tram stop, police said. She was released and was expected to face charges of willful damage, police said.