tony.burke.mp(at)aph.gov.au

Dear Minister,

We write to formally request that you exercise your powers under the Migration Act 1958, including section 501, to refuse or cancel any visa granted to Mr Isaac Herzog, President of the State of Israel, on character grounds.

The character test is not limited to criminal convictions. It exists to allow the Minister to act where an individual’s conduct, influence, or public record is incompatible with Australia’s values, public interest, or obligations under international law, including where their presence poses a risk to community harmony and social cohesion.

The United Nations, including the International Court of Justice and multiple UN Special Rapporteurs, has made clear findings that senior Israeli state officials may bear responsibility for grave breaches of international law, including acts that plausibly constitute genocide. Mr Herzog has publicly endorsed and legitimised military actions that have resulted in mass civilian deaths, collective punishment, and the destruction of essential civilian infrastructure.

Inviting or admitting a political leader credibly implicated in such conduct is not a neutral diplomatic act. It has foreseeable consequences within Australia. It risks deepening community division, inflaming trauma among affected communities, and undermining social cohesion by signalling that grave allegations of international crimes are not a barrier to official welcome or legitimacy.

Australia has a responsibility to consider not only diplomatic relationships, but also the impact of its decisions on social harmony at home. Allowing Mr Herzog to enter Australia under these circumstances would reasonably be perceived as Australia endorsing or minimising conduct that large sections of the community view as unlawful and morally indefensible. That perception alone poses a serious risk to public confidence in government and to social cohesion.

The Minister has both the authority and the responsibility to act. Failure to apply the character test in this case would suggest that even credible allegations of genocide and crimes against humanity are insufficient to trigger scrutiny under Australian migration law.

We therefore call on you to:

• Immediately refuse or cancel any visa granted to Mr Isaac Herzog on character grounds; and
• Provide transparency regarding the basis on which any invitation or visa was issued.

Australia should not be used to normalise, sanitise, or legitimise leaders accused by the international community of involvement in mass atrocities. The Migration Act exists to protect the public interest, including social cohesion, and it should be applied consistently.

We expect a clear and public response.

Families for Palestine community group on unceded Aboriginal lands in “Sydney”