The Israeli president is expected to face another day of protests as his controversial Australian visit nears an end.
Isaac Herzog will be closely guarded by police, who have been granted special search powers, as he arrives in Melbourne for a packed day of meetings with senior politicians and community leaders.
A planned protest in the city’s CBD is expected to attract more than 5000 people, leaving police on high alert.
The demonstration against Mr Herzog’s visit at Flinders Street Station is expected to remain peaceful, according to police who said there is no specific threat to the president.
“We want to be clear that there is no intelligence at this time to suggest that the event is the target of any specific threat,” Victoria Police Deputy Commissioner Bob Hill said.
Police have been granted special powers under terrorism legislation ahead of the visit, allowing officers to stop and search vehicles or people in public places, seize items and detain people as a preventative measure.
The powers apply to specific areas Mr Herzog will attend while in Melbourne.
Mr Herzog was invited to Australia by the federal government following the Bondi terror attack but has received a hostile reception from protesters and some politicians over Israel's actions in Gaza.
At least nine people were charged, and 27 arrested after protesters were punched and pushed by police when an anti-Herzog rally turned violent in Sydney’s CBD on Monday.
Labor Friends of Palestine Victoria committee member Kate Shuttleworth called for a peaceful protest in Melbourne, urging the increased search powers to be used with caution.
“The scenes out of Sydney were deeply distressing. Rank-and-file Labor members were among those pushed, punched and subjected to force. We do not want to see that repeated in Victoria," she said in a statement.
“We are asking for calm, for restraint, and for the protection of democratic rights. Peaceful protest is not a threat to Victoria, it is part of who we are.”
The president's movements have largely been kept under wraps during his visit.
Mr Herzog met with survivors of the Bondi attack in Sydney, before being hosted by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in Canberra.
The four-day trip has been welcomed by members of Melbourne's Jewish community which has been rocked by multiple anti-Semitic attacks, including the Adass Israel Synagogue firebombing in 2024.
"It's a comfortable feeling," Adass board member Abe Weiszberger told AAP.
"Bondi is most probably when the volcano erupted. We've seen the volcano bubbling for two or three years."
Mr Weiszberger said the visit was important for the community, saying it helped bring back a sense of belonging.
"It gives you some comfort in this sea of unknown and where we don't know what's the next move," he said.
The Israeli president has described his four-day trip to Australia as very emotional, saying it was important to visit the community and express condolences.
