The Mossad has been warning Australia regularly for months about Iranian and other potential terror plots against Jews, The Jerusalem Post has learned, following the attack that murdered 11 at a Hannukkah event on Sunday.
Already in August, the Mossad gave helpful warnings to Australia regarding terror threats from Iran.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Australian intelligence chief Mike Burgess have publicly discussed the threat from Iran and others against the local Jewish community.
At times, they have even made reference to helpful intelligence they received from third parties to combat the phenomenon.
The Post can now confirm that the Mossad was among, if not the leading party, on this issue.
Mossad warns Australia of Iranian-backed terror threats
Despite Australia’s failure to prevent Sunday’s terror attack, there was no confirmation that the Mossad specifically warned about Sunday’s terror attack; rather, the emphasis was on a series of warnings over time about the growing wave and terror infrastructure being built up in Australia.
In fact, sources indicated that Mossad cooperation with Australian intelligence has been excellent, even when relations between Albanese and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have been poor.
In August, Albanese and law enforcement officials alleged in a press briefing that the Islamic Republic was the mastermind behind at least two major antisemitic arson attacks in Australia and was likely responsible for more incidents among a wave of anti-Jewish episodes in the country since the October 7 massacre. Albanese further declared that, as a consequence, the Iranian ambassador to Australia would be expelled and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps would be legislated as a terrorist organization.
The Australian Security Intelligence Organisation had gathered enough intelligence to determine that the Islamic regime had directed the December 6, 2024, Adass Israel synagogue arson attack in Melbourne and the October 20, 2024, Lewis’ Continental Kitchen arson attack in Sydney.
“These were extraordinary and dangerous acts of aggression orchestrated by a foreign nation on Australian soil,” said Albanese. “They were attempts to undermine social cohesion and sow discord in our community.”
Michael Starr contributed to this report.