Australia’s top spy quietly met with Israeli President Isaac Herzog during his controversial visit to Canberra – a meeting that was kept off the public itinerary and was only revealed after Senate questioning by David Pocock.
The Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) has confirmed that its director-general, Mike Burgess, met with President Herzog in February.
The revelation emerged after ACT independent senator David Pocock pressed Foreign Minister Penny Wong in the Senate on Tuesday.
Asked directly whether Mr Herzog had visited ASIO headquarters, Minister Wong declined to confirm, saying questions about the agency were “often very sensitive”.
It later fell to ASIO to confirm the sit-down.
“Australian intelligence agencies maintain strong and enduring working relationships with their foreign partners,” an ASIO spokeswoman said.
“The President met with the Director-General of Security, and was briefed by ASIO’s counter-terrorism team on their work following the Bondi attack. Meetings such as this are important opportunities to discuss global threats and strengthen international co-operation.”
Treasurer Jim Chalmers on Wednesday added he “wasn’t aware” of the meeting and did not “pour over every detail” of Mr Herzog’s schedule, but that he trusted the judgement of Australia’s agencies.
Speaking to news.com.au, Senator Pocock said the briefing was “unusual” and appeared to conflict with the stated purpose of Mr Herzog’s trip.
“We were told this was a visit to provide comfort and support to Australia’s Jewish community,” he said.
“It’s unusual for a head of state to be meeting with ASIO. If this stuff’s happening, it should be on the president’s itinerary.”
Senator Pocock said it would be akin to Australia’s governor-general being granted access to a foreign domestic intelligence agency.
“I don’t understand why you have a public itinerary … and then you have a secret briefing with ASIO when we’re at pains to say this is the president, not the prime minister – [he’s] not in government, [he’s] a figurehead.
“That conflicts with an ASIO briefing with the director-general.”
Israel is not part of the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing alliance, of which Australia is a member.
It is understood Senator Pocock’s office received multiple community tip offs about the meeting which prompted the question being raised to Minister Wong.
It is understood the tip-off was more along the lines of ‘Canberra is a small town, and people notice s**t’.
Senator Pocock said the government’s reluctance to confirm the meeting fed unnecessary suspicion.
“I think it speaks to the sort of addiction to secrecy that we see from Australian governments,” he said.
“The lack of transparency feeds all sorts of conspiracy theories, and I think the government should just be upfront with the Australian people.
“What’s the security risk telling us that he’s met with ASIO? I don’t buy it.”
Mr Herzog’s four-day visit followed the Bondi massacre in December, in which 15 people were killed.
He described the trip as one of solidarity, saying Australia and Israel were “close friends and allies”.
But the visit drew protests in every city he attended, with the Sydney demonstrations marred by violence including officers pepper spraying protesters and moving on Muslim men who were praying.
Mr Herzog, elected by Israel’s parliament to the largely ceremonial presidency in 2021, has faced international criticism over comments made after the October 7 Hamas attacks and was later pictured signing an artillery shell destined for Gaza — an act he later conceded was “an error” and “lacking taste”.
The government has insisted the ASIO briefing was strictly related to counter-terrorism co-operation in the aftermath of Bondi.
