Israel offers anti-terrorism training to Australia
Diaspora Minister Amichai Chikli visits after Bondi Beach attack, criticises Australian government response
Israel has offered to host and train senior Australian police officers and security personnel in counter-terrorism and combating antisemitism, following the deadly Bondi Beach attack on the first night of Chanukah.
In a letter to Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke, Israel’s Minister of Diaspora Affairs Amichai Chikli said Israel stands “ready and willing to assist Australia at this critical juncture.”
“We bring extensive experience in combating radical Islamic terrorism and antisemitism, threats that have regrettably become increasingly common, overt and dangerous, not only in Australia but across the world,” Chikli wrote.
The minister said Israel would “welcome the opportunity to host and train senior Australian police officers and security personnel in Israel, sharing our experience, expertise and best practices in countering terrorism and antisemitism.”
The offer follows the attack carried out by two individuals, a father and son, who were “deeply embedded in Islamist extremist networks in Australia, including close ties to Isaac Al Matari, a convicted ISIS-affiliated operative involved in planning terrorist attacks and active participation in the Al-Murad Institute, an organisation which promoted radical Islamist ideology and extremist teachings.”
Chikli travelled to Australia in the aftermath of the attack, attending funerals, visiting wounded victims in hospitals, and meeting with grieving families and community members.
He brought a delegation of Israeli trauma and resilience experts to work directly with the Jewish community.
In his letter, Chikli criticised the Australian government’s response to the attack, saying it “stops short of directly identifying radical Islam as the driving ideology behind this attack.”
He noted that Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong “have failed to clearly name the source of this violence, radical Islam.”
“The first step in fighting terrorism and antisemitism is precise diagnosis, not merely focusing on the weapons used, but on the extremist ideology responsible for the violence,” Chikli wrote.
The minister drew a direct connection between rhetoric and violence, stating that when crowds are permitted to chant slogans such as “from the river to the sea” and “globalise the Intifada,” the consequences should not be dismissed.
“The attack at Bondi Beach was precisely that – a globalisation of the Intifada with deadly, devastating consequences,” he wrote.
Chikli concluded his letter saying he would welcome the opportunity for meaningful cooperation and looked forward to meaningful cooperation on this vital issue.
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