Save articles for later
Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time.
A worsening war in Gaza will increase the likelihood of spontaneous violence or terrorism plots in Australia, the country’s top security boss has warned, but he said people had a right to protest and acknowledged Palestinian-Australians had felt singled out by government agencies.
Australian Security and Intelligence Organisation director-general Mike Burgess told a Senate estimates hearing on Monday that Australia’s terrorism threat level remained consistent despite the Israel-Hamas war and subsequent rallies, but that could change in a fast-moving and complex threat environment.
ASIO Director-General of Security Mike Burgess during a Senate estimates hearing at Parliament House in May.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen
“While the events are a long way from Australia, they are resonating here, and ASIO is carefully monitoring the implications for domestic security,” Burgess said. “ASIO is not seeing evidence of planned violence although the likelihood of opportunistic violence remains real, particularly if tensions persist and rhetoric increases.”
“I think it’s fair to say the longer this [conflict] continues, and if the nature of it worsens … that is one driver that might change our security environment, including the likelihood of spontaneous violence around protest, or just in the street … and of course, those who advocate, plan and want to conduct acts of terrorism.”
Burgess said his agency was not concerned about lawful protests being held in Australia despite them being condemned by politicians on both sides of politics. While most events have been peaceful, one protest in Sydney led to a small group of people making antisemitic chants and burning an Israeli flag, and one protester in Melbourne was seen carrying a photograph of militant group Hezbollah’s leader.
Burgess said ASIO was concerned only by “the small subset of protesters who may wish to escalate” protests into violence, including religiously or ideologically motivated extremists.
“We are interested in individuals who have an ideology that says ‘violence is the answer’ or people who will look to exploit protest and plan violence at that protest. They will get the full force of my agency,” he said.
“But we are not anti-protest and we stay away from paying an interest into protest … It is lawful and appropriate for people to protest and show dissent as long as they sit within the law.”
Under questioning from Greens senator David Shoebridge, who said some Palestinian-Australians felt singled out by government agencies as the domestic response to the war unfolded, Burgess said he had not spoken directly with the Palestinian community but ASIO had heard those concerns from their community groups and leaders.
Two ministers in the Albanese government, Ed Husic and Anne Aly, who are both Muslim, last week said Palestinian-Australians had felt their lives were less important in the public narrative around the war.
Burgess said he agreed with Shoebridge’s observation that “ensuring different communities are treated in an even-handed and consistent way is one of the important ways governments can support a cohesive multicultural society”.
Shoebridge also asked whether “public and peaceful ways of expressing dissent [and] community concern” could be an essential part of how democratic societies dealt with different views in the community.
“That’s absolutely correct,” Burgess said.
He renewed his call for Australians to avoid inflammatory language and aim for social cohesion, but denied his comments were aimed at any particular politician including Opposition Leader Peter Dutton.
Burgess said the agency would continue to monitor domestic responses to the conflict, which included commemoration events at two mosques in Sydney that had honoured killed Hezbollah fighters.
“We are interested in that, to see if behind that you can have an individual who might think violence is the answer. In some cases they may not, in some cases they may, and that’s why we pay attention to those things,” he said.
Burgess said he was not expecting the main neo-Nazi groups, which have been known to join rallies for other causes, to plan acts of violence.
“They’re looking to promote their cause, bring attention to it and recruit more members,” he said.
But spontaneous violence remained a risk.
“In this country, protest and counter-protest are valid. But of course when these groups come together, that might result in the violence we’re concerned about,” he said.
Cut through the noise of federal politics with news, views and expert analysis from Jacqueline Maley. Subscribers can sign up to our weekly Inside Politics newsletter here.
Most Viewed in Politics
From our partners
Source: Read Full Article