Terror in Australia ‘probable’, new evidence of increasing antisemitism

Australia's official terror alert level has been raised to "probable", with Hamas’ October 7 attack on Israel and the subsequent Israel-Hamas war cited as drivers.

Security authorities believe the chances of a violent extremist act are now more likely than when authorities lowered the alert level to "possible" in November 2022.

ASIO's director-general Mike Burgess said Australia's security environment had become more volatile and unpredictable, with political polarisation and intolerance gaining momentum after October 7 and accelerating during Israel’s military response. 

Burgess said the dynamics of the Middle East were "raising the temperature" of Australia's security environment.

“Australia’s security environment is degrading. It is more volatile and more unpredictable.

"More Australians are being radicalised and being radicalised more quickly. More Australians are embracing a more diverse range of extreme ideologies, and more Australians are willing to use violence to advance their cause."

Burgess said where ASIO had previously been primarily concerned about espionage and foreign interference, it now sees homegrown political violence as a significant threat. The terror threat encompasses violent protest, riots and attacks on a politician or democratic institute.

He said raising the threat level did not mean ASIO had intelligence about plans of a current attack or expectations of an imminent attack.