Anti-Semitism was 'left unchecked’ in Australia after Gaza war, spy chief says
Key takeaways
- Australia’s spy chief on Monday told an inquiry into the Bondi Beach mass shooting that anti-Semitism was left unchecked in the country after the start of the war in Gaza.
- By: FRANCE 24 A woman stands at a flower tribute at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia, on December 16, 2025.
- Read moreAustralia holds public hearings on rise in anti-Semitism ahead of Bondi Beach shooting
Why this matters: an international story with cross-border implications worth tracking.
Australia’s spy chief on Monday told an inquiry into the Bondi Beach mass shooting that anti-Semitism was left unchecked in the country after the start of the war in Gaza. Australian Security Intelligence Organisation head Mike Burgess added that before the attack that killed 15 people attending a Jewish Hanukkah celebration in December 2025, anti-Semitism had escalated in severity from “intimidating behaviour to direct targeting of people”.
By: FRANCE 24 A woman stands at a flower tribute at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia, on December 16, 2025. © Mark Baker, AP Anti-Semitism in Australia was left unchecked after the October 2023 outbreak of the Gaza war, fuelling violence against Jewish people, the country's spy chief told an inquiry into the Bondi Beach mass shooting on Monday.
The comments came during public hearings in the wide-ranging inquiry known as a Royal Commission that focus on the events leading up to last December's Bondi attack, which killed 15 attending a Jewish Hanukkah celebration.