The attack on Bondi Beach on December 14, 2025, in which 15 people were shot dead (including a 10-year-old girl, a British-Australian rabbi, a Holocaust survivor, and two foreign nationals) during a major Hanukkah event organized by the Jewish community, is considered a deliberate anti-Semitic terrorist attack.
The two perpetrators, father and son – Sajid Akram (50, killed at the scene) and Naveed Akram (24, arrested in critical condition) – are linked to an ISIS-inspired terror cell in Sydney.
The attack exposed serious failures by the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO), which was aware of risks but failed to prevent them.
Below is an analysis of the failures based on Specific Points, drawing on information from official sources and media:
- Appearance on ASIO’s Watch List for Individuals Associated with ISIS – Naveed Akram, one of the perpetrators, was investigated by ASIO for six months starting in October 2019 due to close ties to a Sydney-based ISIS terror cell. The investigation focused on his associations with convicted extremists, but concluded with an assessment that there was “no ongoing threat or risk of violence.”
This is a central failure: despite a sharp rise in antisemitism in Australia since October 2023 (over 50 violent incidents against Jews), ASIO did not renew surveillance. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirmed that “the son was examined due to associations with others,” but no renewed assessment was mentioned. This failure indicates an underestimation of long-term risks, especially in the context of global ISIS propaganda against Jews.
- Near the Jewish Community event – The family originally lived in Bonnyrigg (about an hour’s drive from Bondi) but moved weeks earlier to an Airbnb in Campsie – just 30 minutes from Bondi Beach. They planned the attack there, including preparing improvised explosives found in their vehicle.
ASIO did not identify this move as a warning sign, despite the event being widely publicized (“Chanukah by the Sea” by Chabad, with thousands of participants). The failure here is a lack of integrated local intelligence: security services did not scan areas near major Jewish events, despite raising the terrorist threat level in Australia to “probable” in August 2024.
- Israeli Warnings Amid an Atmosphere of Antisemitism – Since Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, there has been a dramatic rise in antisemitism in Australia: attacks on synagogues, anti-Semitic graffiti, and incidents increasing tenfold. Jewish community leaders, including special envoy against antisemitism Jillian Segal, warned that “it’s only a matter of time” until a major attack. Israel, through Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, accused Albanese of “inaction” against antisemitism and called for increased security measures.
ASIO ignored these warnings and did not change the threat classification to higher until August 2024 – too late. The failure is political-intelligence: lack of coordination with foreign intelligence services (like the Mossad) and focus on “traditional” threats rather than “new” antisemitism influenced by the Gaza conflict.
- The Father Owned a Registered Deadly Hunting Rifle – Sajid Akram held a legal firearms license for sporting hunting, with six registered weapons (including long-range hunting rifles). All weapons were located and seized after the attack, and police confirmed he “met the criteria” for the license. This is a regulatory failure: despite the son’s ISIS ties, the family’s weapons licenses were not rechecked. Australia, with strict gun laws since the Port Arthur massacre (1996), failed here in separating intelligence from internal security – ASIO did not pass information to local police (NSW Police), allowing the perpetrators to use legal weapons in the attack. Prime Minister Albanese has now declared “strengthening gun laws.”
- The Family’s Unstable Financial Situation – Naveed worked as a bricklayer, but the family – immigrants from Pakistan – suffered financial difficulties, including frequent moves and living in poor neighborhoods like Bonnyrigg.
The father arrived in 1998 as a student and became a permanent resident, but no high financial stability was reported. ASIO did not view these difficulties as a risk factor for radicalization, despite studies showing economic distress increases vulnerability to extremism (as seen in ISIS cells). The failure is a lack of integrating socio-economic analysis into intelligence – no monitoring of “warning signs” like economic or social changes.
- Security sources confirmed that the two terrorists from the attack at the Hanukkah event on Bondi Beach in Sydney visited the Philippines last month to undergo “Military-style training”. The assessment is growing that they acted under ISIS inspiration. The possibility will be examined that they were activated through a “false flag,” that is, in the possibility that they were activated by an entity that impersonates an ISIS branch.
ASIO failed on three main levels:
Strategic -Ignoring the rise in antisemitism and Israeli warnings, Tactical – Closing the 2019 file without renewed monitoring, despite ISIS ties, and Systemic – Lack of coordination with police and weapons licensing, allowing access to deadly weapons.
The attack, the deadliest in Australia in 30 years, exposes vulnerabilities:
Despite counter-terror reforms since 2001, ASIO focused on “major” threats rather than local antisemitism. ASIO head Mike Burgess warned in 2025 of “ongoing threats,” but lessons were not learned. As a result, Albanese promised a comprehensive inquiry and increased intelligence sharing, but the Jewish community accuses it of a “national failure.” The attack highlights the need for change: more dynamic monitoring, international coordination, and protection of minority communities.