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A Jewish security organisation warned New South Wales police of a high risk of a terrorist attack at the ‘Chanukah by the Sea’ event in Bondi weeks before the shooting that left 15 people dead, the ABC reports.
According to the ABC, a confidential riskassessment prepared by the Community Security Group NSW (CSG NSW) identified the event as high risk due to concerns about Islamic extremism and the potential for jihadist-inspired lone-actor attacks.
The ABC reported that sources familiar with the event’s security arrangements told the ABC that CSG NSW had specifically warned police about the elevated threat level associated with the public visibility of the Jewish community during the Hanukkah festival.
NSW police would not confirm or deny to the ABC whether the force was informed of CSG NSW’s assessment of the event’s risk, saying it was imperative any comment did not prejudice court proceedings.
There are varying reports on how many police officers were at the scene when father-son gunmen Naveed and Sajid Akram opened fire on festival-goers.
Premier Chris Minns told the Australian newspaper that at least three officers were at the park.
Hundreds of people laid flowers at Bondi Pavilion in the wake of the terror attack. Photo / NewsWire / Flavio Brancaleone
A document dated November 26, entitled Jewish Festival Calendar Notification, stated that the risk of violent extremism was elevated due to the expected visibility of Jews in public and the prominence of the festival, the ABC reported.
“Hostile actors have historically targeted Jewish and Israeli interests in retaliation for developments in the ongoing Middle East conflict and to intimidate local entities perceived as affiliated with Israel.”
Referencing ASIO’s 2025 Annual Threat Assessment, the document highlighted the risk of “lone-actor attacks inspired by global jihadist propaganda”.
“While Islamic State [Isis] and al-Qaeda have lost territorial control, their ideology persists and resonates with individuals online.”
The document singled out “Sunni violent extremism” as the greatest religiously motivated threat to Australia.
An armed police officer outside the Wellington Jewish Community Centre after the Bondi Beach terror attack. Photo / Mark Mitchell
The ABC reported that the pair placed Isis flags on their car’s front and rear windscreens, according to a police statement of alleged facts released last Monday.
Naveed Akram’s phone contained videos showing the pair adhered to a religiously motivated violent extremism ideology, according to the alleged facts.
The CSG NSW document also warned of the threat of both left-wing and far-right extremism, referencing a neo-Nazi rally outside the NSW Parliament in November and citing ASIO’s risk assessment.
A spokesperson for Police Minister Yasmin Catley told the ABC that she was unaware of the CSG document or any warning given by the group to police.
