Antisemitism at centre of unprecedented Australian security crisis

Last Wednesday, ASIO chief Mike Burgess delivered his sixth Annual Threat Assessment. In an unprecedented move, rather than focusing solely on past and present threats, Burgess declassified parts of ASIO’s future security assessment, warning that Australia faces the most difficult security environment in 50 years.

Over the next five years, ASIO expects “an unprecedented number of challenges and an unprecedented cumulative level of potential harm”, Burgess stated. He also warned that the threat landscape will become more diverse.

Burgess cited the rise in antisemitism, noting that the Israel-Gaza conflict has exacerbated antisemitic incidents in Australia, giving extremists an excuse to escalate threats and violence. He warned that communal violence is expected to rise over the next five years, further straining social cohesion. According to Burgess, the conflict has led to the normalisation of violent protests and intimidation, lowering the threshold for provocative and potentially violent acts against Jewish Australians.

What began as rhetoric about “freeing Palestine”, he noted, has evolved into explicit incitements to harm Jewish individuals and communities. He expressed concern that these antisemitic attacks—ranging from harassment to targeting places of worship and prominent figures—have not yet peaked.

"Threats are intersecting, boundaries are blurring...Is an attack on a synagogue terrorism, communal violence, politically motivated violence or foreign interference? Depending on circumstances and motivations, it could be all of those things, or none of those things." 

In a later interview with 60 Minutes, Burgess revealed that ASIO is now targeting organised crime and outlaw bikie gangs due to their involvement in antisemitic attacks and links to hostile foreign states. This marks a shift from ASIO’s traditional focus on extremism and espionage. Burgess warned that hostile nations are using criminal groups to further their strategic interests, including targeting dissidents and carrying out attacks. He explicitly stated that criminals working for foreign actors would now face ASIO scrutiny.

ASIO’s expanded focus follows concerns over suspected gang involvement in antisemitic incidents, including the arson attack on Melbourne’s Adass Israel Synagogue. Authorities are also investigating connections between gangland infrastructure and the broader "tobacco wars" arson attacks. Burgess emphasised that criminals acting as proxies for foreign states now face not only law enforcement but also ASIO, highlighting the increasing overlap between crime, national security threats, and international geopolitics.

The Sydney Morning Herald revealed that Victorian authorities are investigating whether the firebombing of the synagogue in December was carried out using the same gangland networks used in tobacco war arson attacks. These arson attacks have typically been outsourced to low-level criminals via encrypted communications, making it difficult for authorities to trace the masterminds.

In Sydney, two men charged with allegedly starting a fire at a Newtown synagogue have now been charged in connection with a separate antisemitic incident in Sydney's east in January, the ABC reports. The men, 33-year-old Adam Moule and 37-year-old Leon Sofilas, were charged after cars were set alight and homes vandalised on Henry Street, Queens Park. Police allege the pair were responsible for the vandalism of five cars and two homes on 11 January.

Meanwhile, an Australian Army officer has been stripped of his security clearance because ASIO believes he is more loyal to Israel than Australia and at risk of exploitation by Mossad, The Guardian revealed on Monday. ASIO found that the officer, who is Jewish and had served 19 years in the Australian military, did not view Israel as a foreign government and admitted that he would share classified information with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) if asked.

He failed to disclose training courses he undertook in Israel, where he is not a citizen, which included self-defence, security, and firearms training. The officer reportedly told ASIO that “Zionism is an essential theme within Judaism. Judaism mandates the loyalty of a Jew to his people and to the Land of Israel.” In a decision published by the Administrative Review Tribunal, ASIO ruled that the officer, anonymised as HWMW, was not of “appropriate character and trustworthiness to hold any security clearance”.

The tribunal stated: “HWMW is vulnerable to influence or coercion to enable acts of espionage or foreign interference by Israeli Intelligence Services due to his loyalty to Israel.”

As the federal election approaches, tensions in the political sphere over antisemitism continue to rise. Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus was heckled while addressing an antisemitism conference in Sydney, where he outlined the Albanese government’s efforts to combat rising antisemitism. Some audience members protested, with a few booing, walking out or turning their backs during his speech.

Dreyfus condemned the politicisation of antisemitism, referencing his recent visit to Auschwitz and criticising the opposition for attempting to silence him in parliament when speaking on the issue. Liberal MP Michael Sukkar, who previously moved to gag Dreyfus in parliament, defended his actions. The event, hosted by Sky News at the Sydney’s Central Synagogue, featured prominent figures including John Howard, Jillian Segal, the opposition leader, the NSW premier, and the Israeli ambassador.

Earlier on Thursday, Dreyfus told ABC Radio that “an extraordinary number of opposition politicians” had apologised privately after Sukkar’s parliamentary gag motion. “I’m not going to make their lives difficult by identifying them, but they saw that what happened in parliament was a mistake,” he said.

On Monday, Foreign Minister Penny Wong echoed Dreyfus’s comments, accusing Coalition Senator James McGrath of weaponising antisemitism during a heated parliamentary hearing. Coalition senators had questioned Wong on Labor’s handling of the rise in antisemitism since the 7 October Hamas attacks and Israel’s subsequent military campaign in Gaza. “I’m very happy, and so is the prime minister, to work with you against prejudice, including antisemitism,” Wong said. “But what is not helpful is the way in which you try to weaponise this.” She added “I hope you [the Coalition] do too.” The hearing was shut down after a clash between Wong and opposition MPs.

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ASIO Director-General's Annual Threat Assessment 2025

ASIO warns bikies, organised crime linked to antisemitism, hostile nations (SMH)

Two men charged in connection to alleged antisemitic attack in Sydney's east also allegedly connected to synagogue incident (ABC)

Australian defence force officer stripped of security clearance over loyalty to Israel (The Guardian)

Dreyfus heckled at Sky News antisemitism conference as Sukkar doubles down on parliamentary gag (The Guardian)

Rowdy hearing shut down as Wong says opposition weaponising antisemitism (SMH)