Australia's spy chief says antisemitism was left unchecked after Gaza war

Antisemitism in Australia was left unchecked after the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war in October 2023, fueling violence against Jewish people, the country's spy chief told an inquiry into the Bondi Beach mass shooting. Mike Burgess, Director-General of Security for the Australian Security Intelligence Organization (ASIO), testified that the spike in antisemitic incidents contributed to the agency's decision to raise the national terrorism threat level to "probable" in August 2024.

Burgess stated that the war in the Middle East evoked strong emotions in Australia, and that "some of those violent aspects... and those behaviors, including antisemitism that, in our view, were left unchecked, were therefore normalized and gave more permission for violence... and Jewish Australians were on the receiving end." He noted that from late 2024, antisemitism escalated in severity, moving from threatening and intimidating behavior to direct targeting of individuals, businesses, and places of worship.

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There is no doubt that the war in the Middle East invoked a range of emotions in Australia.

Incidents included vandalism and arson attacks on homes, schools, synagogues, and vehicles in the months preceding the Bondi attack. ASIO concluded that Iran's elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) was responsible for two antisemitic attacks: one on a kosher restaurant in Sydney and another on Melbourne's Adass Israel Synagogue. This finding led to the expulsion of Iran's ambassador in August. Burgess indicated that Iran was likely involved in more attacks, but ASIO lacked sufficient evidence to pinpoint responsibility, suggesting the IRGC uses proxies to harm Jewish people globally.

The Royal Commission's hearings are examining the nature and prevalence of antisemitism and social cohesion in Australia, with testimony from members of the Jewish community. Sheina Gutnick, whose father was killed in the Bondi Beach shooting, spoke to the media after the first hearing block.

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Some of those violent aspects... and those behaviors, including antisemitism that, in our view, were left unchecked, were therefore normalized and gave more permission for violence... and Jewish Australians were on the receiving end.