Israel offers to train senior Australian police, scolds PM over ‘radical Islam’

Israel has offered to train senior Australian police in counter-terrorism and fighting anti-Semitism following the Bondi Beach terror attack.

Fifteen innocent people were killed last month when Sajid Akram and son Naveed Akram allegedly opened fire on the Chanukah by the Sea event.

Israel’s Minister for Diaspora Amichai Chikli was in Bondi in the days after the attack.

In a New Year’s Eve letter to Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke, Mr Chikli said Israel stood “ready and willing to assist Australia at this critical juncture”.

“We bring extensive experience in combating radical Islamic terrorism and anti-Semitism – threats that have regrettably become increasingly common, overt, and dangerous not only in Australia, but across the world,” Mr Chikli said.

“Accordingly, we would welcome the opportunity to host and train senior Australian police officers and security personnel in Israel, sharing our expertise and best practices in countering terrorism and anti-Semitism”.

The letter appeared to be in response to an earlier communication from Mr Burke, with Mr Chikli acknowledging the Home Affairs Minister “refers broadly to extremism, hate, and anti-Semitism”.

“It stops short of directly identifying radical Islam as the driving ideology behind that attack.

“Similarly, the fact that Prime Minister Albanese and Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong have failed to clearly name the source of this violence – radical Islam – undermines the ability to confront it.”

Anthony Albanese has been repeatedly asked to call out radical Islam after it was revealed the alleged gunmen were inspired by the Islamic State.

“We know that ISIS is an ideology, a perversion of Islam, that essentially doesn’t agree with any recognition of nation states, seeks a caliphate,” he said on December 22.

Mr Shikli acknowledged gun reforms were important.

He said the Jewish community in Australia had “deep concern and an unequivocal demand for decisive and concrete action”.

In a statement, a spokesperson for Mr Burke said the government had “taken action on hate speech, hate crimes and hate symbols and is continuing to act through the legislation announced in recent weeks”.

It comes after nine of Australia’s peak business bodies joined more than 100 powerful corporate leaders spanning banking, law, sport and ­education, in writing to Mr Albanese, urging for the establishment of a royal commission into the Bondi attack.

Mr Albanese has so far resisted those calls, claiming instead that an independent review by former ASIO chief Dennis Richardson was the most appropriate course, and the most expedient.

He has also cited concerns for national security and social cohesion as reasons behind his decision.