EDITORIAL: Descent into terrorism could cost Anthony Albanese his job

It’s been 14 months since Hamas launched its heinous and murderous attack on innocent Israeli citizens on October 7, 2023. Two days later pro-Palestine protesters chanted anti-Jewish slogans at the Sydney Opera House.

Four months ago ASIO boss Mike Burgess upped the threat of an onshore terror attack from possible to probable.

Two months earlier, Jewish Labor MP Josh Burns’ Melbourne electorate office was set on fire.

Two more attacks followed, firstly in November when a car was torched and buildings were vandalised with anti-Israel messages in Sydney’s Woollahra, then last Friday when a Melbourne synagogue was firebombed.

Yet it took two days for Anthony Albanese to declare the latter an act of terrorism.

Two days before the attack on the Adass Israel synagogue in Ripponlea, the Federal Government walked back on two decades of support of Israel and instead backed the United Nations resolution backing a Palestinian state and demanding Israel withdraw from the Occupied Territories.

Two was also the number of sets of tennis the Prime Minister enjoyed on Saturday afternoon at Perth’s swanky Cottesloe Tennis Club, when he should have been on a flight back to Victoria to be the leader this country needs right now.

Meanwhile, Australia’s 117,000 Jews wondered why they had been abandoned by a prime minister who told them ahead of the last election that there was no difference between the major parties on their position on Israel.

Evasion, excuses and distractions by a PM who let unchecked rhetoric swell into acts of terror under his watch.

Those sentiments seemed to underpin the words of Mr Burgess, who on Monday fronted a press conference alongside the PM to announce the formation of an Australian Federal Police taskforce, Operation Avalite, to combat anti-Semitism. “The national terrorism threat remains at probable,” Mr Burgess said.

“When I raised the threat level earlier this year, I noted there was a greater than 50 per cent chance of a terrorist attack in the next 12 months.

“Sadly, this appalling incident appears to embody the ugly dynamics that ASIO has been warning about.”

Were you listening to those warnings, Prime Minister?

“Australia’s security environment is volatile and unpredictable. Anti-authority beliefs continue to grow, grievances are spreading, provocative and inflammatory language are being normalised,” Mr Burgess continued.

In other words, it was only a matter of time.

But time is running out for Albo. His decision to play two hours of tennis on Saturday is akin to Scott Morrison’s ill-conceived “I don’t hold a hose, mate” comment during the Black Summer bushfire crisis of 2019.

When the nation needs you, as leader, you should do everything you can to be there. Yet as of Monday, Mr Albanese still hadn’t made it to Ripponlea to support and reassure the Jewish community.

An election is looming, without improvement Albo’s weekend tennis results of one win and one loss are likely to be repeated at the polls.