Secrecy has been a big part of problem in terror fight

A big lesson from the eruption of anti-Semitic violence that has caught our leaders and law enforcement agencies flat-footed since the October 7, 2023 terrorist attack in Israel is that mixed messages and a lack of strong communication have only made things worse. This extends beyond the federal government, which has been accused of always having one eye on its electoral prospects in seats with big Muslim populations in western Sydney. It also includes law enforcement, which has failed to act publicly to bring outbreaks of civil unrest to heel. This started with the protest at the Sydney Opera House in the immediate aftermath of the October 7 attack, which took place before Israel had had any opportunity to respond.

The reaction of state police at that time was to advise the Jewish community not to proceed with a commemoration at the Opera House site lest it inflame tensions. Rather than stamp down on the anti-Jewish protests, police went out of their way to find reasons not to do so. From that moment events have spiralled. University protests that were allowed to run unchallenged have given a generation that is poorly educated on the facts of the Middle East a new avenue for civil disobedience. From this seed has sprung a spate of vandalism and arson attacks culminating in the discovery of a caravan in outer Sydney laden with explosives and the addresses of Jewish targets. It has all led to what former Labor minister and army officer Mike Kelly writes on Friday is a perfect storm in terms of domestic security.

The confluence of the rise in neo-Nazi activity is mirrored by far-left ambitions to generate violent “revolutionary” circumstances, and the Islamist extremists emboldened by the exploitation of the war in the Middle East. Muddying the waters has been the evolution in the past 10 years of the sophisticated information warfare deployed collaboratively by Russia, Iran, China, North Korea and their willing autocratic partners that has played into and helped feed the domestic social challenge.

Police withheld information about the potential terrorist threat involving the caravan until it was published in the media. The timing of events puts a new light on Anthony Albanese’s change of heart in calling a meeting of national cabinet where it was suggested that overseas actors may be paying local criminals to undertake anti-Semitic acts of violence. There is still little to demonstrate whether this is or is not the case. The response of politicians and police to the leaking of details about the caravan has been to shoot the messenger.

NSW Police Commissioner Karen Webb said publication of the caravan discovery had “compromised” ongoing investigations in what could have been a “mass casualty event”. She was defended by NSW Premier Chris Minns, who has been proactive in denouncing the anti-Semitic wave crashing over his state. Jewish leaders say the need for “clandestine investigations” must be balanced against the public’s right – particularly at-threat Jewish people – to know. While it might be convenient for police to operate in secret, this is not good enough in this instance.

Much of the concern about the rise of anti-Semitic actions is due to too much secrecy and lack of demonstrated concern, for which politicians and police must share responsibility. Mr Albanese, in particular, must disclose what he knew about the potential for a mass terrorist attack, and what he did about it. The public deserves full disclosure and evidence that police and security agencies are doing all they can. This includes sending a clear message that investigations are under way and bad actors will be caught and punished.