CSG’s warning to police
CSG warned police weeks before the Bondi terror attack that Chanukah by the Sea was a likely target.
Community Security Group (CSG) NSW warned police in late November 2025 that a terrorist attack against the Jewish community was “likely” and flagged the Chanukah by the Sea event at Bondi Beach as a “major open-air event of concern”, the Royal Commission heard on Monday.
Witness ABO, a senior CSG officer, told the commission that a threat assessment dated November 28, 2025 – more than two weeks before the December 14 attack that killed 15 people – rated the community threat level at 5 out of 6, described as “high”.
“The level of engagement with both organisations [NSW Police and ASIO] increased materially after October 7,” Witness ABO told the commission, describing both agencies as “extremely reactive” and having “gone above and beyond” to protect the community. A further notification email sent by CSG NSW on December 8 – six days before the attack – categorised the Bondi event as requiring police “deployment of resources for the entirety of the event” and was distributed to multiple NSW Police recipients, including the Operation Shelter Intelligence Distribution List.
The witness said CSG received no reply from police, though one was “not expected”.
The warning was not sent to federal agencies such as ASIO or the Australian Federal Police.
CSG deployed only 12 unarmed volunteers – a mix of licensed security personnel and ushers – to the actual event.
A second CSG witness, Witness ABP, told the commission that the operations inspector of Eastern Suburbs Police responded to a direct request for static police presence by saying police “do not believe a static presence is required, based on the risk assessment they would have undertaken internally”.
Witness ABP said mobile taskings – periodic police attendance – were inadequate, as there was no guaranteed timeframe or duration of police presence.
Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion: Hearing Block 2, day one
Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion: Hearing Block 2, day two
Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion: Hearing Block 2, day 3