Isaac Herzog is accused of inciting genocide in Gaza. He shouldn’t be welcomed to Australia
Writing in the Guardian on Thursday UN Commissioner Chris Sidoti laid out the reasons Isaac Herzog should not be welcome in Australia, and urged the Prime Minister to correct his terrible mistake in inviting him.
Recent articles in Politics
7 February 2026
Message from the Editor
The debate over the visit of the Israeli President has occupied much space in P&I this week, and for good reason.
7 February 2026
Australia unlikely to follow US downgrade on China threat
The US National Defense Strategy signals a softer, more pragmatic approach to China. Australia’s silence on the shift exposes how detached its defence posture has become from both reality and its own national interests.
7 February 2026
Billionaire Bezos guts Washington Post
The gutting of the Washington Post has reignited a deeper question about who controls the media – and whether billionaire ownership is compatible with a free press.
7 February 2026
Australian doctors protest Israel’s destruction of health rights in Gaza
Israel’s deregistration of international health providers in Gaza makes legally mandated care increasingly impossible, raising serious questions about compliance with international law.
7 February 2026
Herzog’s visit exposes Australia’s legal weakness on human rights
As Israel’s president visits Australia, debates over protest, terrorism and antisemitism expose a significant problem: Australia lacks a coherent human rights framework.
7 February 2026
Inside Indonesia’s Board of Peace diplomacy on Palestine
Indonesia’s decision to join the Board of Peace places it inside a US-dominated body whose approach to Gaza risks prioritising reconstruction over sovereignty, rights and political legitimacy.
6 February 2026
Don't mention the war
Australia is struggling to respond proportionately to violence, fear and political pressure in the wake of the Bondi attacks, October 7 and Israel’s war in Gaza. The result has been a contraction of democratic debate, heavy-handed political responses and an unwillingness to confront the scale of civilian suffering now unfolding in Gaza.
6 February 2026
America’s bad emperor problem
History offers a warning about unchecked power. As Donald Trump reshapes US foreign policy, the risks of personal rule and predatory hegemony are becoming harder to ignore.
6 February 2026
The China AI panic misses what history keeps teaching us
Warnings that China must be cut off from advanced AI chips echo a familiar pattern. History suggests technology bans rarely slow China down – and often do the opposite.
6 February 2026
Why is the Australian government hosting the President of Israel?
As President Isaac Herzog prepares for an official visit, Australia faces serious questions about international law, diplomatic process, and the values it claims to uphold.
6 February 2026
Five years on from the coup, where does Myanmar find its future?
Myanmar’s phased elections have given the junta a thin veneer of legitimacy, but they have done nothing to halt economic decline, armed conflict or the steady erosion of hope. With little external pressure and no genuine reform, fragmentation is likely to deepen.
6 February 2026
Why the governor-general should not be the prime minister’s choice
Governor-General Sam Mostyn’s remarks reveal a deeper flaw in Australia’s constitutional arrangements – one that weakens the independence of the head of state and undermines democratic accountability.
