Israel and Australia assess whether Iran was involved in Bondi Beach shooting attack

Israeli and Australian authorities are investigating whether a state actor, namely Iran, is behind the deadly attack at the Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia, on Sunday.

An Israeli intelligence official told Israel Hayom, "In recent months, there has been a marked increase in activity by Iran and its proxies, the terrorist organizations Hezbollah and Hamas, aimed at carrying out attacks against Israeli and Jewish targets worldwide.” 

That official further stated, “There is no doubt that the direction and infrastructure for the attack originated in Tehran.” 

Officials are also examining possible links to other terror groups, including Hezbollah and Hamas, or possibly groups related to Al-Qaeda. A few weeks ago, pro-Palestinian demonstrations took place in Sydney, where demonstrators held signs displaying the Iranian leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. 

Meanwhile, Israel reported that the Mossad had given several warnings to the Australian government about potential terror attacks against Jews in the country, although there were no reports of any specific intelligence related to the Bondi Beach shooting. Jewish community leaders were reportedly told to maintain a high level of security due to the increased risk of attacks. 

Following the Bondi Beach attack, Israeli authorities blamed the Australian government, saying Israel had issued several warnings about possible terror attacks, but Australia did not take sufficient action. An Israeli official told Channel 12 News, “Everything was on the table, we have been issuing warnings about intentions to carry out terrorist attacks for the past few months.” 

The officials also noted that, for the past two years, pro-Palestinian demonstrations have been held across Australia, and in Sydney, in particular, in which extremist antisemitic slogans were heard, while participants carried symbols of terror organizations. 

In August, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said that Iran was behind several antisemitic attacks in the nation, including two incidents involving arson. Australia severed diplomatic ties with Iran following the announcement. 

Chabad Rabbi Eli Schlanger, who was murdered in the shooting on Sunday, had written an open letter to Albanese after Australia recognized the Palestinian state, which was posted on social media, in which he urged him “not to betray the Jewish people and not to betray G-d Himself.” 

In October, the Mossad released details about an international terror network run by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' Quds Force, accusing the network of being behind several attacks on Jewish sites in several countries, including Australia. 

The Iranian government released a statement condemning the attack, without mentioning the targeting of Jews or the Hanukkah celebration.

Iranian Foreign Minister Esmaeil Baghaei wrote on social media: “Terror violence and mass killing shall be condemned, wherever they’re committed.” 

A U.S. official told Fox News that if intelligence linked Iran to the Sydney attacks, Washington would support Israel's retaliation. 

Despite initially issuing a statement that did not mention the targeting of Jews or the Hanukkah celebration, Albanese later released another statement, saying, “This is a targeted attack on Jewish Australians on the first day of Hanukkah, which should be a day of joy, a celebration of faith, an act of evil, antisemitism, terrorism, that has struck at the heart of our nation.”