Israel said it is ready to train Australian police to combat terrorism and anti-Semitism, while accusing the government of inaction against “radical Islam”.
“We bring extensive experience in the fight against radical Islamic terrorism and anti-Semitism,” wrote Israeli Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli.
“Accordingly, we would welcome the opportunity to host and train senior Australian police and security personnel in Israel, sharing our expertise and best practices in countering terrorism and anti-Semitism.”
Chikli, who was in Bondi in the days after the attack, said there was “deep concern and an unequivocal demand for decisive and concrete action” among the Jewish community.
The senior minister blasted the Albanian government for failing to identify “radical Islam” as the “driving ideology” behind the Bondi attack.
“The fact that Prime Minister Albanian and Minister of Foreign Affairs [Penny] Wong has failed to clearly identify the source of this violence – radical Islam undermines the ability to address it,” Chikli said.
In response, a spokesperson for Burke said that “the government has taken action against hate speech, hate crime and hate symbols and continues to act through legislation announced in recent weeks.”
The prime minister has been repeatedly asked to denounce radical Islam after it was revealed that the alleged father and son of the gunmen were inspired by Islamic State.
“We know that ISIS is an ideology, a perversion of Islam, which essentially does not accept any recognition of nation states and seeks a caliphate,” he said last week.
The letter comes amid a chorus of business and religious leaders, as well as top industry groups, calling for a federal royal commission into the attack.
Nine representatives from major employers, including the Business Council, Australian Banking Association and Minerals Council, said the survey would show Australia was serious about tackling anti-Semitism.
“A federal royal commission can help us understand what happened, what needs to be done differently and bring us together in the shared goal of preventing future tragedies,” the statement said.
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