Key Takeaways
- The Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion is investigating the December 14 2025 Bondi Beach shooting, focusing on police deployment and intelligence failures.
- Only three general‑duty officers and one supervisor were assigned to the Chanukah By the Sea festival, despite a much larger police presence at the same event in 2023.
- Prior warnings from the Community Security Group (CSG) rated the terror threat as “high” and flagged Naveed Akram as a likely associate of extremists, yet he remained on a low‑priority watch list.
- ASIO, the Australian Federal Police (AFP) and NSW Police counter‑terror units are being examined for their handling of intelligence on the Akram father‑son pair, especially the firearms licence granted to Sajid Akram.
- The commission will hear from ASIO boss Mike Burgess, AFP assistant commissioner Stephen Nutt, and NSW Police assistant commissioner Leanne McCusker, among others, to assess whether systemic shortcomings contributed to the attack.
Background of the Royal Commission Inquiry
Former High Court judge Virginia Bell has reconvened the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion to examine the events leading up to the Bondi Beach shooting on December 14 2025. The inquiry’s second tranche of hearings, beginning Monday, will scrutinise the security calculations made by Australian law‑enforcement and intelligence agencies in the lead‑up to the attack. Bell’s mandate includes reviewing the terrorism threat level, the adequacy of police resources allocated to Jewish communal events, and the effectiveness of counter‑terrorism systems that failed to detect the plot.
Police Deployment at the 2025 Chanukah By the Sea Festival
Evidence presented to the commission shows a stark reduction in police presence at the 2025 Chanukah By the Sea festival compared with previous years. Photographs from the 2023 event depict six officers stationed at the perimeter of a petting zoo, with dozens more out of frame, whereas the 2025 festival was staffed by only three general‑duty officers and one supervisor. The Eastern Suburbs Police Area Command operations inspector had instructed the rostered inspectors to attend with a car crew or two and maintain a high‑visibility presence, noting that a full‑time stay was unnecessary. This minimal deployment stood in contrast to the NSW Police calendar, which listed 15 Jewish events across the eight‑day Chanukah period in Sydney’s east.
Community Security Group Warnings Ignored
The Community Security Group (CSG), a volunteer‑led Jewish security organisation, had warned NSW Police ahead of the 2025 festival that its terror rating was “high” and that a terrorist attack against the NSW Jewish community was “likely,” citing elevated antisemitic vilification. CSG representatives, appearing under pseudonyms, told the commission that they had specifically flagged Naveed Akram as a close associate of a radical circle in Bankstown. Despite these alerts, the Akram pair were not subjected to heightened surveillance or intervention before the shooting.
Intelligence Awareness of the Akram Father‑Son Pair
Investigations reveal that Naveed Akram first entered the radar of Australian intelligence agencies in 2019 during probes into a Sydney‑west Islamic State cell. He was interviewed by ASIO and NSW Police but never arrested or charged, even as many associates were convicted of supporting IS. Consequently, he was placed on a low‑priority watch list covering the period 2020‑21. Sajid Akram, Naveed’s father, resumed efforts to obtain a firearms licence around the same time; the NSW Firearms Registry ultimately granted him a licence, enabling the lawful acquisition of the weapons used in the attack. The pair later travelled to a known IS hotspot in the southern Philippines, though authorities found no evidence they attended training camps or met recruiters.
Assessment of Agency Handling of the Threat
Shortly before resigning from the royal commission, former ASIO boss Dennis Richardson questioned whether Australia’s intelligence apparatus had fallen short in managing the Akram case. In response, current ASIO director Mike Burgess defended his agency’s actions, labelling criticisms as “baseless.” Both ASIO and the AFP commissioned internal reviews led by former insiders; those reviews concluded that the agencies had not acted negligently in their handling of intelligence on Naveed Akram. Nevertheless, the commission will examine whether systemic issues—such as thresholds for escalating watch‑list subjects or inter‑agency information sharing—allowed the threat to mature unnoticed.
The Attack and Immediate Police Response
When Sajid and Naveed Akram opened fire on the crowd at Bondi Beach, the few officers on scene bravely returned fire to protect civilians. Detective Senior Constable Cesar Barraza is believed to have shot Sajid from approximately 40 metres away, while Naveed was wounded by police gunfire and now faces trial for murder and terrorism. Two officers—Probationary Constable Jack Hibbert and Constable Scott Dyson—were shot by the alleged terrorists; both survived but sustained serious injuries. Additional officers raced from nearby stations to the beach to help neutralise the threat and secure the area.
Broader Implications for Counter‑Terror Resourcing and Policy
The royal commission’s hearings will also scrutinise the broader counter‑terrorism resourcing, powers, and systems in place at the time of the attack. This includes evaluating the Joint Counter Terror Teams (which integrate AFP, NSW Police, and other agencies), the adequacy of intelligence‑sharing protocols, and the criteria used to upgrade individuals from passive watch‑list status to active investigation. The commission aims to determine whether reforms are needed to prevent similar lapses, particularly concerning the protection of religious and cultural gatherings perceived as potential targets.
Conclusion and Expected Outcomes
As the hearings progress, the commission is expected to produce an interim report highlighting gaps in police deployment, intelligence assessment, and inter‑agency coordination that contributed to the Bondi Beach tragedy. Recommendations may call for increased police presence at high‑risk community events, stricter thresholds for escalating individuals on terror watch lists, and improved communication between ASIO, the AFP, and state police. Ultimately, the inquiry seeks to strengthen Australia’s resilience against terrorism while safeguarding the rights and safety of its diverse communities.