Australia’s Anti-Terrorism Agency Under Scrutiny Over Intelligence Failures

Subheading Australia’s Anti-Terrorism Agency Faces Scrutiny Over Pre-Bondi Attack Intelligence The Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) has come under intense scrutiny following revelations that its director-general, Mike Burgess, testified before a royal commission that foreign interference was “under every rock” in the lead-up to the 2025 Bondi antisemitic attack. The testimony, delivered during the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion, has reignited debates about the agency’s preparedness to address rising threats of violence against Jewish communities. Subheading ASIO Chief Warns of ‘More Permission for Violence’ During the hearing, Burgess stated that he had observed a growing “permission for violence” in public discourse, particularly in the context of antisemitism. His remarks were made amid ongoing investigations into the Bondi attack, which targeted a Jewish community event and resulted in multiple casualties. The royal commission is examining the intelligence failures and responses of government agencies, including ASIO and the Australian Federal Police (AFP), in the months preceding the incident. Burgess emphasized that the threat landscape had evolved, with foreign actors allegedly exploiting domestic tensions to