Israel’s President Isaac Herzog stood in silence at Bondi Beach, head bowed before a wreath of white flowers, as waves rolled in behind a cordon of police and mourners. The ceremony, held beside the Bondi Pavilion, marked a solemn tribute to the 15 people killed during a shooting at a Jewish festival, an attack described as the deadliest targeting Jews since the Hamas assault on Israel in 2023.

Herzog told those gathered that the atrocity had not only scarred Sydney, but had reverberated through Jewish communities worldwide. He spoke of “evil” that sought to divide societies along lines of faith and identity, insisting that the answer must be a united front of “good people of all faiths and all nations.”

“We shall overcome this evil together,” he said, his words carried over the beach by a cold wind. In a symbolic gesture, Herzog placed two stones brought from Jerusalem at the memorial site, describing them as a sacred link between the victims and the spiritual heart of the Jewish people.

The victims included an 87-year-old Holocaust survivor who had rebuilt his life in Australia, a couple who reportedly tried to confront one of the attackers, and 10-year-old Matilda, remembered by friends and teachers as a “ray of sunshine” whose laughter once echoed along the promenade.

Australian authorities say the alleged gunman, 50-year-old Sajid Akram, was shot dead by police at the scene. His son, Naveed, a 24-year-old Australian citizen, has been charged with terrorism and 15 counts of murder and remains in custody as investigations continue.

Herzog praised the Australian government for what he called “courageous and necessary” steps to combat antisemitism, including tighter gun control and strengthened hate crime legislation introduced after the attack. He warned, however, that the surge in antisemitic incidents worldwide showed that “no democracy is immune.”

His visit has been embraced by many in Australia’s Jewish community. Alex Ryvchin, co-chief executive of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, said Herzog’s presence offered comfort to a community “still deep in mourning and searching for reassurance.”

Yet the trip has also exposed sharp political fault lines. The Progressive Jewish Council of Australia declared Herzog unwelcome, citing Israel’s military campaign in Gaza and findings by a United Nations inquiry that suggested he could face legal scrutiny over wartime comments. Israel has dismissed the UN body’s conclusions as biased and unfounded.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese urged the public to focus on the purpose of the visit, confirming he would accompany Herzog in meetings with bereaved families. Even as New South Wales authorities designated the visit a major security event, protesters in Sydney and Melbourne marched through city streets, calling for investigations into alleged war crimes and an end to Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories.

At Bondi, however, the tone was one of grief and defiance. As candles flickered in the sea breeze, Herzog told the crowd that the memory of the victims would be “a beacon against hatred,” vowing that their names would not be forgotten and that the response to their murder would be “solidarity, not surrender.”