In its careful way, the Bondi royal commission report is still damning
The interim report of the Bondi royal commission, led by Justice Virginia Bell, highlights systemic failures in Australia's counter-terrorism preparedness despite avoiding direct blame. It reveals a shift in intelligence priorities from terrorism to foreign interference after 2019, with reduced funding and coordination across agencies. The report underscores missed opportunities to protect the Jewish community, including prior warnings before the deadly 2025 Hanukkah attack at Bondi Beach.
- ▪The December 2025 terrorist attack at a Hanukkah celebration in Bondi Beach was the deadliest on Australian soil, killing 15 people.
- ▪ASIO downgraded the national terrorism threat level from 'probable' to 'possible' in 2022, reflecting a strategic shift toward countering espionage and foreign interference.
- ▪Intelligence spending on counterterrorism significantly declined between 2020 and 2025, even as overall intelligence budgets increased by 31 percent.
- ▪The national counterterrorism plan had not been substantively updated since 2019, and the Counter-Terrorism Coordinator role was part-time until recently.
- ▪NSW Police failed to act on warnings to protect the Bondi Hanukkah event, despite escalating public alerts from ASIO about antisemitic violence.
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analysisThe Bondi royal commission interim report is careful but ultimately damning SBy Sean Rubinsztein-DunlopTopic:Royal Commissions1h ago1 hours agoThu 30 Apr 2026 at 7:23pmThe incident on December 14 was the deadliest terrorist attack on Australian soil. (ABC News: Berge Breiland)abc.net.au/news/bondi-antisemitism-social-cohesion-royal-commission-analysis/106627848Link copiedShareShare articleBy Hanukkah 2025, Australia had grown dangerously complacent about terrorism — and about the safety of the Jewish community.That is the message beneath the restrained language of Justice Virginia Bell's interim report of the royal commission investigating last December's terrorist attack at a Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach, the deadliest terrorist attack on Australian soil.The report does…
Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at ABC News (Australia).