As the Israeli presidential jet touches down in Australia this week, it brings with it more than just the weight of diplomacy. President Isaac Herzog arrives at a moment of profound vulnerability and historical reckoning for the Australian Jewish community. Coming just months after the horrific December massacre at Bondi Beach—an event that claimed 15 lives and shattered our collective sense of safety—Herzog’s visit is, fundamentally, an act of “Mishpacha”.

However, beneath the formal meetings with Prime Minister Albanese and the emotional vigils with grieving families, one specific theme from Herzog’s recent global addresses will likely echo through the halls of Sydney and Melbourne: the linguistic evolution of hate.

The New Slur for an Old Hatred
In late 2025, during the 39th World Zionist Congress in Jerusalem, President Herzog delivered a speech that has since become a cornerstone of his second term. Addressing the explosion of global antisemitism following October 7, he drew a stark, uncomfortable parallel between the past and the present.

“Those who once called us ‘Yids’ or ‘zhids’ now call us ‘Zios,’” Herzog remarked. “Well, these ‘Zios’ have now returned to their land.”

For many Australian Jews, this isn’t just a clever rhetorical turn; it is a lived reality. From the university campuses of Melbourne to the streets of Sydney, the term “Zio”—once a fringe slur used by white supremacists—has been mainstreamed. It is frequently used to bypass hate-speech algorithms or to provide a thin veil of political “critique” over what is, in essence, traditional racial vilification.

Herzog’s point was clear: while the label has changed to fit the modern political palate, the intent to dehumanize the Jewish people remains identical.

Reclaiming the “Z-Word”
What made Herzog’s address particularly resonant was his refusal to let the detractors define the term. Instead of shrinking away from the label, he chose to reclaim it, identifying the “Zios” as the very people the world should be honoring.

He reminded the Congress—and by extension, the world—that these so-called “Zios” are the paramedics who ran into the line of fire on October 7. They are the families who have spent years building peaceful kibbutzim on the border, and the students who, despite facing harassment, refuse to hide their identity.
“These ‘Zios’ are us,” Herzog declared. “The men and women in this hall, across Israel, and throughout the Jewish world”.

A Message for Australia
In the Australian context, this message carries a specific urgency. The Bondi massacre was a brutal reminder that the “poison of social media” and the “experts of incitement” (as Herzog described them at Yad Vashem) do not respect geographic borders. The leap from online vitriol to physical violence is shorter than we ever dared to imagine.

The President’s visit comes at a time when the Australian Jewish community feels increasingly isolated. We have watched as the distinction between “criticism of Israel” and “targeting of Jews” has been systematically erased in public discourse. When Herzog speaks of the shift from “Yid” to “Zio,” he is speaking directly to the Jewish student in Australia who is told they are “safe” as a Jew but “excluded” as a Zionist—a distinction that, for the vast majority of our community, is a theological and historical impossibility.

Solidarity in a Fractured Time
Critics of the visit argue that Herzog’s presence will only “sow discord.” Yet, for the leadership of organizations like the Zionist Federation of Australia (ZFA) and the Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ), the visit is an essential part of the healing process. It signals that even in our furthest corner of the Diaspora, we are not alone.

President Herzog is often described as the “Consoler-in-Chief.” In Israel, he has spent the last two years navigating a nation torn apart by internal politics and external war. He brings that same mission to Australia: to offer comfort to the families of Bondi, to reassure a community living in fear, and to remind us that our identity—whether called “Jew,” “Yid,” or “Zio”—is something to be carried with pride, not apology.

As we welcome President Herzog, his words from Jerusalem serve as a timely armor. By identifying the continuity of hate, he empowers us to recognize it, call it out, and ultimately, transcend it through unity.

Ayal Marek
President
ARZA Australia