Australia’s domestic spy chief told an inquiry ASIO shifted resources
toward espionage before the Bondi Hanukkah attack, while saying
counterterrorism remained a priority.
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA.—
Australia’s domestic intelligence chief told a royal commission that ASIO moved
some resources away from counterterrorism toward espionage and foreign interference
before a deadly attack on a Sydney Hanukkah celebration, while maintaining that
terrorism remained a core priority. Mike Burgess, director-general of the
Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, gave evidence as the Royal
Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion examined the Dec. 14, 2025,
Bondi Beach attack, in which 15 people were killed, according to the Associated
Press and Australian public broadcaster ABC.
Why ASIO’s counterterrorism shift is under scrutiny
Burgess told the inquiry that ASIO had shifted resources after
Australia’s National Terrorism Threat Level was lowered from “probable” to
“possible” in November 2022. He said the change followed a reduced level of
Islamic State-related activity after the group’s territorial defeat in the
Middle East.
The decision is now receiving renewed attention because of the Bondi
Beach attack, one of the deadliest mass casualty events in modern Australian
history. The attack targeted a Jewish community Hanukkah event attended by
about 1,000 people, according to evidence cited by the inquiry.
Burgess said ASIO increased its focus on espionage and foreign interference because investigators were finding growing activity in those areas. But he also told the commission that counterterrorism continued to receive sufficient resources because of the risk of death or serious harm.
What the inquiry has heard about the Bondi attack
The Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion has heard that
the attack unfolded rapidly. Counsel assisting Richard Lancaster SC said 11
people were shot within 29 seconds of the gunmen opening fire, 10 of them
fatally.
The alleged attackers were identified in the inquiry and reporting as
father and son Sajid and Naveed Akram. Prosecutors allege they were inspired by
Islamic State and brought handmade IS flags to the scene, according to the
Associated Press.
Sajid Akram was fatally wounded in a gunfight with police. Naveed Akram
was wounded and later charged with committing a terrorist act, 15 counts of
murder and 40 counts of attempted murder. He has entered no pleas, according to
the AP account provided in the source article.
Police presence and event security draw questions
The inquiry has also examined the security arrangements for the Hanukkah
celebration. Lancaster said only four police officers were present when the
attack began, despite a crowd of about 1,000 people. Within five minutes, 11
officers were at the scene, three of whom were wounded.
A Jewish security organization, the Community Security Group, had
requested that New South Wales Police maintain officers at the beachfront park
for the duration of the event. Instead, officers were directed to attend
periodically, according to the inquiry account.
The event was given the lowest security priority on a three-tier police
scale, while Jewish High Holy Days in September and October had received a
higher security classification involving specialist police planning.
What officials say was known before the attack
Lancaster told the commission there was no evidence that any
intelligence or law enforcement agency had specific information suggesting an
armed attack would occur at the Hanukkah event. He described the shooting as a
“surprise attack.”
That finding is central to the inquiry’s work because it separates two
questions: whether authorities had actionable intelligence about the specific
attack, and whether broader threat assessments and security planning were
adequate for the risk environment facing Jewish communities.
ABC reported separately that ASIO’s annual holiday threat assessment was
issued less than two weeks before the Bondi attack but did not identify
heightened risk to the Jewish festival, despite antisemitism having been
described as a serious threat concern.
How antisemitism and global events shaped the threat picture
Burgess told the commission that he made an unusual public statement
five days after the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel, warning that
inflamed language could lead to violence. He said ASIO observed threatening and
intimidating behavior directed at Jewish Australians through late 2023,
especially in New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland.
According to Burgess, that behavior escalated in October 2024 to target
Jewish businesses and places of worship. ASIO raised Australia’s terrorism
threat level back to “probable” in August 2024.
The testimony places the Bondi attack within a wider debate about
antisemitism, social cohesion, public protest, online radicalization and the
difficulty of detecting lone-actor or small-cell threats before violence
occurs.
Why the commission’s findings could matter nationally
The Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion is expected to
examine intelligence settings, policing decisions, community warnings and the
broader social climate before the attack. Its findings could influence how
Australia protects religious events, shares threat information and assesses
security risks for minority communities.
The commission is also likely to shape debate about the balance between
counterterrorism, espionage, foreign interference and domestic social cohesion
work inside national security agencies. Burgess’s testimony suggests ASIO saw
foreign interference as a growing operational demand, but the Bondi attack has
renewed public scrutiny of whether counterterrorism settings were calibrated
correctly.
What remains unknown
Several key issues remain unresolved. The inquiry has not concluded
whether different police deployment decisions could have reduced the death
toll. It has also not determined whether ASIO’s broader resource allocation
affected the ability of authorities to identify risks before the attack.
The accused surviving gunman’s criminal case is also ongoing. Because
Naveed Akram has entered no pleas, allegations against him remain subject to
court proceedings and should be treated as allegations unless proven in court.
Sources and credibility note
This article is based on reporting from the Associated Press, ABC News
Australia, The Guardian Australia and inquiry evidence summarized in publicly
available reports. Relevant source types include the Royal Commission on
Antisemitism and Social Cohesion, ASIO testimony, New South Wales Police
evidence, court records and verified public statements.
CRNTimes.com prioritizes verified information, transparent attribution
and updates when new details become available.
Why readers should keep watching the inquiry
The inquiry is likely to remain important for Australians concerned
about public safety, antisemitism, religious freedom and national security
accountability. Its final findings may clarify whether agencies had the right
threat settings, whether police planning matched the risks and how future
community events should be protected.
The central question is not only what happened at Bondi Beach, but how
governments, police and intelligence agencies should respond when general
warnings exist but specific attack intelligence does not.
By CRNTimes Editorial Team | CRNTimes.com | Melbourne | May 25, 2026