Security agencies in Bondi royal commission spotlight
Possible intelligence and security failures before the deadly Bondi Beach terror attack will be among the first findings of a high-level investigation.
The interim report by the Royal Commission into Antisemitism and Social Cohesion is expected to provide insight into how two men were able to plan and carry out one of the worst mass murders in Australian history.
The attack killed 15 people attending the Hanukkah festival held at the popular beach in December, prompting the government to eventually launch an official investigation.
Sabina Kleitman’s 87-year-old father, Alex Kleytman, was shot in the chest and killed while protecting his wife Larisa from gunmen.
Ms Kleitman said the safety of all Australians depended on determining what, if anything, went wrong before the attack.
“They’re going to have to do a lot of soul-searching, a lot of thinking and rethinking in their decision-making and a lot of restructuring,” he told AAP.
Asked how the publication of the interim report made her feel, Ms. Kleitman said: “None of what’s going on makes me feel good.”
“This is not just a matter of how I feel; the effects of this act of terrorism are greater than just affecting the Jewish community,” he said.
“This is about the safety and security of all Australians and whether this report shows the way forward to prevent or mitigate such disasters.”
An ASIO review of one of the gunmen revealed he was a potential threat in 2019, according to the agency’s chief executive Mike Burgess, who said the men had been “blacked out” to conceal their plans.
“Alleged terrorists appear to have demonstrated a high level of security awareness to conceal their plans,” Mr Burgess told a parliamentary hearing in February.
“Simply put, they went dark to stay off the radar.
“The harsh truth is, as I have said many times, that ASIO is not all-seeing and all-knowing. We cannot stop every terrorist, just as we cannot catch every spy.”
If ASIO is found to have made mistakes, Mr Burgess said the agency would learn from them.
While Sajid Akram was shot dead during the massacre, his son Naveed Akram continues to be tried in the courts on charges of terrorism and multiple murders.
The commission will embark on the first block of public hearings, which will consider Jewish-Australians’ lived experiences of antisemitism in Sydney from 4 to 15 May.
The interim report will be made public on Thursday morning.
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