Key questions remain as Virginia Bell examines security response to rising antisemitism
A significant part of Crown commissioner Virginia Bell’s interim report into the Bondi Beach massacre – including five of her 14 sensible but modest recommendations for change – remains hidden behind a veil of corrections. And as Bell warned when launching the investigation in February, important questions remained unanswered due to the limited time he was given to present his preliminary findings.
But despite all these gaps, the former Supreme Court judge’s interim report offers important clues about the issues he plans to examine when he begins public hearings next week and continues to read thousands of submissions to the inquiry.
Although his writing style was not prone to improvement, Bell warned state and federal police, local spy agency ASIO and the Albanian government that they could expect to be interrogated at a crucial point in the coming months. While officials at various levels have acknowledged the increasing danger facing Australian Jews in the wake of the 7 October attacks and the war in Gaza, what exactly have they done about it? Did the rhetoric of those tasked with keeping a vulnerable community safe match their actions?
Reflecting a lawyer’s belief in the importance of due process, Bell is yet to point out to anyone the fact that 15 innocent people died at Bondi Beach on a sunny day in December. But it’s clear he’s thinking about what could be done better.
Bell, on behalf of NSW Police, found that three general duty officers and a chief attended the Bondi Hanukkah event, and a local area commander also attended at various times. Two inspectors on duty were asked to attend the event but were told they did not need to stay until the event was over. This comes after the Jewish community’s watchdog group warned before the incident that “a terrorist attack on the NSW Jewish community was likely and high levels of antisemitic slurs were present”. Even while acknowledging the benefit of hindsight and limited police resources, Jewish community leaders believe the security presence that day was clearly inadequate, given the increased threat level.
As for ASIO, Bell notes that the spy agency raised its terror threat level from probable to probable in August 2024, meaning there is a 50 per cent chance of a terrorist attack being planned or carried out in Australia next year. ASIO boss Mike Burgess also noted the “disturbing escalation” of anti-Semitic incidents in Australia. So full points for being aware of the problem and sounding the alarm. But what happened as a result? Bell says: “It will be necessary to investigate whether ASIO and other Commonwealth and state intelligence and law enforcement agencies understood and acted on their assessment of a possible attack, and to assess the adequacy of those said to have ‘made full use of ASIO’s capabilities and powers’ in the context of ongoing antisemitic attacks.”
Bell, for example, is likely to investigate whether, given the increasing threat level, ASIO should reconsider statute-barred cases such as Naveed Akram, who came onto their radar in 2019 and is accused of carrying out the Bondi massacre.
As for the government, it’s clear that Bell is interested in money and interest in counterterrorism when the warning signs start flashing red.
Bell found funding for police and intelligence agencies increased between 2020 and 2025, with ASIO’s funding rising by almost 40 per cent in that period. But despite this growth, “the proportion of funding allocated to combating terrorism has decreased significantly” across the national intelligence community as threats of espionage and foreign interference consume more resources.
Given this decline, Bell says: “A question that needs to be examined is whether resources should be provided specifically for ASIO and counter-terrorism. [intelligence community] More generally, the deteriorating security environment, including Hamas attacks on Israel, was sufficient and was reflected in the elevation of the National Terrorism Threat Level to ‘LIBLE’.”
Similarly, why has the counter-terrorism coordinator position been a part-time role balanced with other responsibilities in the Home Office since 2019?
Although the police, ASIO and the government believe they have done everything possible to respond to the wave of antisemitism that has erupted since 2023, Bell is clearly not convinced. His first report reflects an open mind but an intention to ask difficult questions and discover answers.
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