Three Labor members of the NSW upper house, Cameron Murphy, Stephen Lawrence, and Sarah Kaine, have announced they will join a Sydney protest against the visiting Israeli president, Isaac Herzog. Their decision defies Premier Chris Minns, who has voiced his opposition to the rallies organized by the Palestine Action Group.

NSW Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon has expanded a "no-go" zone, effectively blocking any official approval for protests under the standard "Form 1" permit system. This means anyone marching in the area could face arrest. Despite this, organizers still plan to march from Town Hall to Macquarie Street and have called on the police to help manage the crowd safely.

The three MPs said they are attending both to protest Herzog’s actions and to stand up for the right to demonstrate. Stephen Lawrence also expressed concern over delays in a court case challenging the legality of the protest ban.

The situation follows a September 2025 UN commission report which concluded that Israel had committed genocide and accused President Herzog and other officials of inciting violence. Israel’s foreign ministry has dismissed the findings. Herzog himself described the genocide case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) as a "blood libel," a term referring to false and hateful claims used to persecute Jewish people. The ICJ has not yet delivered a final verdict on the matter.