Israeli intelligence provided a critical lead that helped the Australian Security Intelligence Organization (ASIO) unravel Iran's involvement in two antisemitic firebombings, marking a significant breakthrough in the investigation, Sky News reports.
The tip-off pointed to one of the attacks orchestrated by Iran, though ASIO conducted the bulk of the investigation, deciphering complex networks and encrypted communications used by those involved. ASIO's independent efforts confirmed that Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps was behind the attacks, as revealed by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. However, the alleged intelligence-sharing success highlights the robust cooperation between Israel and Australia on security matters, despite strained diplomatic relations between Prime Minister Albanese and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as confirmed by Sky News.
This is not the first instance of Israel aiding Australia's counterterrorism efforts. In 2017, Israel alerted ASIO to a plot to bomb an Etihad Airways flight departing Sydney.
Video: Synagogue arson attempt and violence during antisemitic pro-Palestinian protests in Australia. Credit: 7NEWS
However, claims that Israeli interventions prompted the government in Canberra to expel Tehran's ambassador, Ahmad Sadeghi, were rejected. "Complete nonsense," Australian Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke told ABC Radio when asked about Israel's alleged involvement in Australia's decision to order the ambassador to leave the country.
ASIO Director General Mike Burgess stated that the agency continues to investigate other antisemitic incidents to determine potential Iranian involvement. Government sources revealed that the Albanese administration had been aware of possible Iranian links to antisemitic attacks for months, Sky News reported. Specifically, the government knew of potential Iranian connections to firebombings at Melbourne's Adass Israel Synagogue and Sydney's Lewis Continental Kitchen.
On Tuesday, Albanese publicly confirmed that Australian intelligence agencies had linked Iran to these antisemitic attacks. "ASIO has now gathered enough credible intelligence to reach a deeply disturbing conclusion that the Iranian government directed at least two of these attacks," he said at a media conference in Canberra. He added, "Iran has sought to disguise its involvement, but ASIO assesses it was behind the attacks on the Lewis Continental Kitchen in Sydney on October 20 last year and Adass Israel Synagogue in Melbourne on December 6 last year."
