Israeli President Isaac Herzog visited Bondi Beach today to lay a wreath and memorial stones for the 15 victims of the Bondi Beach attacks during a Hanukkah celebration on December 14, meeting families and survivors during his four-day Australia visit
Herzog arrived at the Bondi Pavilion under tight security and paid his respects at the rain-swept memorial site. He brought two stones from Jerusalem to place at the memorial, saying they would remain at Bondi to remind people that bonds between people of all faiths will hold strong in the face of violence and hatred.
The visit marked the first stop of Herzog’s Australian trip, coming at the invitation of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese following Australia’s worst mass shooting in almost 30 years. The president met privately with families who lost loved ones and survivors still recovering from injuries sustained in the attack.
Bondi Community’s Ongoing Remembrance
The Bondi Pavilion memorial site has become a focal point for the community since the December attack. In the days and weeks following the tragedy, residents and visitors laid vast quantities of flowers at the site and added thousands of candles, stuffed toys, and handwritten messages to pay their respects.
Sydney Jewish Museum and local artist Nina Sanadze collected every flower from the memorial to preserve them for artwork commemorating the attack. The flowers will be transformed into permanent installations that honour the victims while bringing the community together through art.
On December 21, exactly one week after the attack, more than 10,000 people gathered at Bondi Beach for a candlelight vigil as part of the national Day of Reflection. Australians across the country lit candles at 6:42pm to mark the moment the attack began, with television and radio networks observing one minute of silence.
Community Support and Recovery
The Bondi community response extended beyond memorials, with over 50,000 people volunteering to donate blood following requests from Lifeblood. Hundreds of women and girls dressed in white joined Governor-General Sam Mostyn in laying flowers at the memorial during the week of remembrance.
Indigenous leaders conducted a traditional smoking ceremony at the Bondi Pavilion, while the Sydney Opera House shone with candlelight as part of the national day of reflection. Authorities lit the Sydney Harbour Bridge and buildings across the city in yellow to show solidarity with those affected.
Fifteen people aged 10 to 87 died in the attack during the Jewish festival celebration. Syrian-Australian shop owner Ahmed al-Ahmed has been hailed as a hero for disarming one of the attackers, an action that likely saved additional lives. A GoFundMe campaign raised nearly $2 million to support al-Ahmed’s recovery.
Herzog’s Broader Visit
Following his time at Bondi Beach, Herzog will travel to Melbourne and Canberra before returning to Israel on Thursday. Sydney and Melbourne are home to 85 percent of Australia’s Jewish population, with Bondi Beach and its surrounding eastern suburbs hosting a significant Jewish community that traces back to Holocaust survivors and other immigrants who settled in the area starting in the 1940s.
Herzog said people of all faiths will overcome the violence together, emphasising that the attack targeted not just the Jewish community but the values shared by Australians. His visit includes meetings with senior officials across the political spectrum throughout his time in Australia.
Published 9-February-2026.
