{"id":285213,"date":"2026-02-11T05:51:08","date_gmt":"2026-02-11T05:51:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/285213\/"},"modified":"2026-02-11T05:51:08","modified_gmt":"2026-02-11T05:51:08","slug":"pm-tells-isaac-herzog-australia-wants-transparency-over-zomi-frankcoms-death-as-pair-meet-in-canberra-australia-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/285213\/","title":{"rendered":"PM tells Isaac Herzog Australia wants transparency over Zomi Frankcom\u2019s death as pair meet in Canberra | Australia news"},"content":{"rendered":"

Anthony Albanese has told the Israeli president, Isaac Herzog, that Australia expects transparency over the death of aid worker Zomi Frankcom<\/a>, killed by an Israel Defense Forces strike in Gaza, and is pushing for \u201cany appropriate criminal charges\u201d.<\/p>\n

Herzog, who was in Canberra on Wednesday, has said his country wants to work with Australia to \u201cuproot this phenomenon\u201d of antisemitism. His Canberra visit was met with protests outside Parliament House against the Palestinian civilian death toll in Gaza.<\/p>\n

Herzog will meet the opposition leader, Sussan Ley, and hold another meeting with Albanese on Wednesday afternoon. At least one independent MP, Sophie Scamps, boycotted question time in protest over the president being invited to visit parliament, and just hours before his arrival the Australian government registered its alarm over Israel\u2019s plans to expand settlements in the West Bank<\/a> \u2013 which the department of foreign affairs said were \u201cillegal\u201d.<\/p>\n

In question time, Albanese said he had spoken with Herzog on Wednesday morning about the death of Australian citizen Frankcom, who was killed along with six humanitarian worker colleagues after an Israeli drone strike on their World Central Kitchen convoy in April 2024.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese deaths were a tragedy and an outrage. We said that at the time. We have made it clear that remains the Australian government\u2019s position and we\u2019ve also made clear our expectation that there be transparency about Israel\u2019s ongoing investigation into the incident. We continue to press for full accountability, including any appropriate criminal charges,\u201d Albanese said.<\/p>\n

Sign up: AU Breaking News email<\/a><\/p>\n

He said every death of a humanitarian worker in Gaza was \u201can outrage\u201d, including aid workers and journalists.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have spoken about humanitarian aid as well with the Israeli government and with the Israeli president. I must say the Israeli president has said he will engage and come back to the Australian government about the issues that we have raised,\u201d Albanese said. In response to criticism over the government\u2019s invitation to Herzog, Albanese added \u201cif President Herzog wasn\u2019t here, I wouldn\u2019t have been able to raise the issue of Zomi Frankcom with him\u201d.<\/p>\n

Isaac Herzog and Sam Mostyn during a ceremonial welcome at Government House. Photograph: Lukas Coch\/AAP<\/p>\n

Herzog\u2019s visit, to meet the Australian Jewish community and mourn the victims of the Bondi antisemitic massacre, continued on Wednesday with a breakfast at Government House hosted by the governor general, Sam Mostyn. Heavy security, including snipers on the roof of the building, and a 21-gun salute by the federation guard met Herzog\u2019s arrival.<\/p>\n

Herzog said Australia and Israel \u201cshare the need to fight antisemitism with no doubts \u2026 so we uproot this phenomenon\u201d. He added that he hoped \u201cwe can bring the relations between our nations on a renewed path\u201d.<\/p>\n

Protesters outside Government House could be heard yelling in the background. Outside Parliament House, several hundred people protested Herzog\u2019s visit, criticising the Israeli government\u2019s actions and military campaign in Gaza. Many carried large signs including \u201cstop arming Israel\u201d, \u201cJews against Herzog\u201d and \u201cjustice for Palestine\u201d. Another large banner at the front of the rally read \u201cHerzog and IDF security not welcome\u201d.<\/p>\n

The Palestinian death toll in the Israel-Gaza war had surpassed 70,000, Gaza\u2019s health ministry said in November<\/a>, after 1,200 Israelis were killed in the Hamas terror attack of 7 October 2023. Israel\u2019s military recently accepted that death toll<\/a> was broadly accurate.<\/p>\n

Protesters rally outside Parliament House. Photograph: Mick Tsikas\/AAP<\/p>\n

Addressing the rally in Canberra, the Greens senator Mehreen Faruqi claimed her home state of New South Wales was at risk of becoming a \u201cviolent police state\u201d and criticised what she called \u201cdisgraceful\u201d actions of police at a Sydney protest this week.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow on earth can you justify assaulting Muslims doing their prayers, peacefully doing their prayers?\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have spoken to so many Muslims since Monday, and we are scared. We are scared. We are fearful.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Greens senator was also strongly critical of the invitation for Herzog to visit Australia, calling it \u201cshameful\u201d.<\/p>\n

A chant of \u201carrest Herzog\u201d broke out during her speech.<\/p>\n

Herzog is not scheduled to address parliament during his visit. But Scamps, the member for Mackellar, said she would skip question time on Wednesday \u201cto illustrate that I do not condone this visit\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cAn invitation for the Head of State of Israel to visit our Parliament normalises the atrocities that have occurred in Gaza over the past two years,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Earlier on Wednesday, Australia joined global condemnation of Israel over measures to tighten its control of the West Bank, including extending Israeli control in areas that are now under Palestinian administration.<\/p>\n

The US, European Union and Arab states have expressed alarm and concern over the plan. A spokesperson for Australia\u2019s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade added to that global backlash.<\/p>\n

\u201cAustralia objects to the Israel Security Cabinet\u2019s decision to expand Israel\u2019s control over the West Bank. This decision will undermine stability and security,\u201d they said in a statement.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Australian Government has been clear that settlements are illegal under international law and a significant obstacle to peace. Altering the demographic composition of Palestine is unacceptable.<\/p>\n

\u201cA two-state solution remains the only viable path to long-term peace and security for Israelis and Palestinians alike.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Anthony Albanese has told the Israeli president, Isaac Herzog, that Australia expects transparency over the death of aid…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":285214,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[85,46,43],"class_list":{"0":"post-285213","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-israel","8":"tag-il","9":"tag-israel","10":"tag-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/285213","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=285213"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/285213\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/285214"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=285213"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=285213"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=285213"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}