Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s visit to ASIO headquarters in 2026 has triggered serious questions in Australia, especially because of the long shadow left by the 2010 Dubai assassination scandal. At the centre of the controversy is Australia’s past finding that forged Australian passports were used in the operation that killed Hamas official Mahmoud al-Mabhouh in Dubai. That revelation caused a major diplomatic fallout at the time, including Australia expelling an Israeli diplomat after concluding the passport misuse was not the work of amateurs.
Now, years later, critics are asking why the president of Israel was granted access to Australia’s domestic intelligence headquarters, and why the meeting was reportedly not listed clearly on the public schedule at first. Senators David Pocock and David Shoebridge have raised questions about the level of access given, what was discussed, and whether similar visits have been granted to leaders of other foreign governments.
The concern is not only about one meeting. It is about trust, transparency, and whether Australia’s intelligence institutions should be opening their doors to officials from a country previously linked to the misuse of Australian identity documents. Supporters may argue that diplomatic and security briefings are normal between allied or partner nations, but critics say the history here makes this visit different.
For many Australians, the key question remains simple: after the forged passport scandal and the Dubai assassination fallout, why was Isaac Herzog welcomed inside ASIO headquarters — and what explanation does the government owe the public?