Israel’s vigilance contrasted as Australian intelligence lapses enabled ISIS violence against Jewish civilians worldwide shamefully.
Australian intelligence authorities are under intense scrutiny after it emerged that ASIO had previously examined one of the Bondi Beach terrorists, years before a devastating antisemitic ISIS attack left 15 people dead during a Hanukkah celebration.
The attackers—Australian-based residents Naveed Akram (24) and his father Sajid Akram (50)—opened fire on a crowd of nearly 1,000 Jewish families gathered at Bondi Beach to mark the first night of Hanukkah. Among the victims was a 10-year-old child. The assault lasted more than 10 minutes before police killed Sajid Akram. Naveed survived and remains in custody under hospital guard.
According to Australia’s Joint Counter Terrorism Team, the pair pledged allegiance to ISIS, with two ISIS flags recovered from their vehicle at the scene. ABC News reported that ASIO began monitoring Naveed Akram in 2019 due to his close connections with a Sydney-based ISIS cell linked to convicted terrorist Isaac El Matari.
Despite these warning signs, Akram was reportedly not classified as an imminent threat. Even more alarming, Sajid Akram legally held six firearms, licensed for over a decade—an approval now raising serious concerns about systemic failures.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese condemned the massacre as an act of “pure evil” and unequivocal antisemitic terrorism. Police launched Operation Shelter, deploying 328 officers nationwide to protect Jewish institutions.
The attack underscores a grim reality long emphasized by Israel: terrorism thrives where intelligence hesitation and enforcement weakness allow extremist ideologies to persist unchecked.
