Israel said it is willing to train Australian police in countering terrorism and antisemitism, while accusing the government of lack of action on “radical Islam”.
Israel’s Diaspora Affairs Minister, Amichai Chikli, recently emphasized the nation’s deep expertise in addressing issues of radical Islamic terrorism and antisemitism. His commentary was directed at the Albanese government, criticizing it for not recognizing “radical Islam” as the underlying ideology behind the attack in Bondi.
“Accordingly, we would welcome the opportunity to host and train senior Australian police officers and security personnel in Israel, sharing our expertise and best practices in countering terrorism and antisemitism”.
Chikli, who was in Bondi in the days after the attack, said there was “deep concern and an unequivocal demand for decisive and concrete action” among the Jewish community.
This statement arrives as a growing number of business and religious leaders, along with prominent industry organizations, are advocating for a federal royal commission to investigate the incident thoroughly.
“The fact that Prime Minister Albanese and Minister for Foreign Affairs [Penny] Wong have failed to clearly name the source of this violence — radical Islam — undermines the ability to confront it,” Chikli said.
In response, a spokesperson for Burke said “the government has taken action on hate speech, hate crimes and hate symbols and is continuing to act through legislation announced in recent weeks”.
The prime minister has been repeatedly asked to call out radical Islam after it was revealed the alleged father and son gunmen were inspired by Islamic State.
“We know that ISIS is an ideology, a perversion of Islam, that essentially doesn’t agree with any recognition of nation states, seeks a caliphate,” he said last week.
The letter comes amid a chorus of business and religious leaders as well as peak industry groups calling for a federal royal commission into the attack.
Nine representatives of major employers including the Business Council, Australian Banking Association and Minerals Council said the inquiry would show Australia is serious about combating antisemitism.
“A federal royal commission can help us understand what happened, what needs to be done different and bring us together in the shared goal of preventing future tragedy,” the statement said.
