Bill Gates denies Epstein files allegations, Melinda Gates responds; Isaac Herzog Australia visit sparks tensions; Sussan Ley, David Littleproud yet to agree on Coalition reformation

Opposition education spokesman Julian Leeser has dismissed calls for the arrest of Israeli president Isaac Herzog, saying his visit to Australia was important for the Jewish community.

“Australia has, from time to time, visitors from a range of different countries, which Australians will have different views about the human rights record of those visitors, or the foreign policy of that particular country, and we don’t go around arresting people who come as guests of government,” Leeser told ABC Radio National.

Comments from Herzog were put to Leeser, in which the Israeli president suggested all Palestinian civilians were responsible for Hamas’ October 7 attack.

“I’m not here to defend every word of the president of the government of Israel. I’m a parliamentarian in Australia, a member of the Jewish community, but I think people need to remember what happened in Israel on October 7. It was the worst terrorist attack that Israel’s ever faced, it is the largest murder of Jewish people in a single day since the Holocaust,” Leeser said.

“All of these questions distract from the fact that Australia suffered a terrible terrorist attack, and Australians are reeling and the Jewish community is reeling, and the government has made the right decision to invite the president of the Jewish state to Australia this time to come for Jewish Australians.”