Share and Follow
“To grasp why such an incident occurs in Australia, it’s crucial to recognize that Australia is not isolated; it is intertwined with the global network,” he explains.
He highlights a noticeable increase in plots linked to the IS group across Western nations since 2023, noting approximately 20 successful incidents in Europe alone.
The suspects, Sajid Akram, 50, and his son Naveed Akram, 24, reportedly visited the Philippines in the weeks leading up to their attack, suggesting potential international connections.
The attack took place on a bridge where the gunmen targeted members of the Jewish community who were celebrating a Hanukkah festival. Source: AAP / Dan Himbrechts
A bridge where two gunman fired on the Jewish community attending a Hanukkah festival. Source: AAP / Dan Himbrechts
Australian National University criminologist Dr Clarke Jones, who works with offenders in the Philippines, says active militants from terrorist groups such as the Islamic State of East Asia are still operating in the southern Philippines, so it’s possible the pair attended a training camp.
Naveed Akram came to the attention of Australia’s intelligence agency ASIO in 2019 after he was found to be an associate of members of a NSW-based IS group cell. He was later deemed not to be a threat to national security by the agency.
Attack likely planned for some time
“Generally, it’s something that they’ve been thinking about for a while and potentially contemplating in order to get themselves to that point where they can do it.”
He points to the Philippines trip, as well as the fact that authorities found an improvised explosive device (IED) and a number of firearms, as potential evidence that the attack had been planned for some time.
Did Australia’s recognition of Palestine make it more susceptible?
None of the experts SBS News has spoken with believe Australia’s recognition of Palestine is a relevant factor in the Bondi attack.
Anyone who thinks that the threat of Islamic State attacks will be influenced by the recognition of Palestine is misunderstanding the threat environment.
Andrew Zammit
He says more should be done to combat legitimate hate speech, which can be “a kind of visible warning of more extreme views”.
Mourners at the funeral of Rabbi Eli Schlanger, who was shot dead during the terror attack at Sydney’s Bondi Beach. Source: AAP / Mick Tsikas
Barton points to Wissam Haddad, a Muslim cleric in Sydney, who has long been known for his extremist views and lectures quoting religious texts about the killing of Jews. A Four Corners investigation this year identified him as the spiritual leader of Australia’s pro-IS group network.
“Some protests involve language that is wrong [and these people should be held to account], but most of it’s peaceful.”
Were we blindsided?
“[The conflict] prompted protest, exacerbated tension, undermined social cohesion and elevated intolerance.”
ASIO director-general Mike Burgess speaks at a press conference flanked by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (left) and AFP acting deputy commissioner for national security Nigel Ryan. Source: AAP / Lukas Coch
He also noted that disruptive actions and inflammatory rhetoric had been normalised.
While Burgess’ comments indicate Australian authorities were alert to the possibility of an attack like the one at Bondi, Zammit says it’s also possible some red flags were missed.
“Intelligence is inherently about dealing with uncertainty and is never going to prevent all attacks or even most, and it’s always easy to see red flags retrospectively.”
‘Focusing on individual failures can be unhelpful’
Zammit says inquiries into past terror attacks, such as the 2014 Lindt Cafe siege, have tended to focus on individuals who may have “dropped the ball”, for example, whether a psychiatrist made the right call.
Focusing on the individual level can be unhelpful and miss opportunities for process change and systemic change, or for understanding what is realistically foreseeable and what’s not.
Zammit notes the attack was carried out by a father and son, and this may have made it more difficult to detect.
Barton notes this is why it’s important that Australians pay attention, and not dismiss someone saying something extreme and dangerous as “just crazy talk”, and instead let authorities know.
What can we do?
“The conversation’s moved on to China and Russia, but I think that still needs to be part of our focus.”
A memorial drawn on the wall of a bridge at Bondi Beach as a tribute following last Sunday’s shooting. Source: AAP / Steve Markham
Albanese this week announced a gun buyback scheme and more funding for Operation Avalite, the antisemitism taskforce run by the Australian Federal Police. Further actions are under consideration.
“So we’ve very rarely had attacks in Australia by people who’ve actually trained overseas, unlike Europe.”
‘We want to stand up together’
He also notes that an important part of dealing with terrorism is resilience and “a society not changing its way of life too much” in response.
