The Bondi attack response, Antisemitism, Free Speech, Gun Laws, Migration

 

I’m honoured to have been interviewed by Nirmal Singh for the “Perth Dialogues” program.

https://youtu.be/-Fn6Yr7JomY

We covered the “Bondi attack response, Antisemitism, Free Speech, Gun Laws, Migration.”

There’s a lot there, so I have linked directly to individual questions/topics that may be of interest.

 

01:50 The Bondi Terror Attack: Context and Significance

03:24 The Security Situation for Jewish Australians

04:58 Australian counter-terrorism capability (comments from Lt Col Itay Gil)

07:39 Understanding Hanukkah and Its Importance

11:20 The message sent by the terrorists

13:42 Calls for a Royal Commission: Community Demands

15:46 Can the Prime Minister be Trusted?

18:57 Two-tiered/unequal law/migration enforcement in Australia

21:45 Exploring the Drivers of Terrorism (Ideology, incitement)

24:34 Does terrorism/Bondi really have “nothing to do with religion”?

28:07 The Concept of Intifada and Its Implications

29:03 Antisemitism and terrorist ideology

32:07 The Role of Protests and Media in Shaping Narratives, the Failures of Many Universities

41:17 The Lone Wolf Phenomenon in Terrorism (differences between Al Qaeda and Islamic State strategies and tactics)

44:59 What we could learn from Israeli counter-terrorism expertise.

49:36 Will firearm law reform help to stop terrorism? (No, it’s a distraction).

51:56  My assessment of the Prime Minister

56:31 Political Dynamics and Muslim Communities

01:00:47 Two-tiered law enforcement, and whether people should be deported.

1:04:28 Radical Muslim and Far right antisemitism

01:08:48 Free Speech vs. Hate Speech: Finding the Balance

01:15:26 Universities and Ideological Dominance

01:17:07 Teaching standards and antisemitism. Should we strip universities of accreditation and funding? (Mention of IPA’s Bella d’Abrera’s research on the woeful state of higher education.)

01:23:49 Migration Policies: Vetting and Monitoring (hitting the ‘deportation button” cf. Andrew Hastie)

01:27:18 Multiculturalism and the question, “What is Culture?” (and being proud of the “Net Positive” of Australian culture)

01:34:16 Vetting migrants to Australia

01:37:38 Antisemitism and anti-Zionism. Are they really different?

01:39:33 Leadership and National Security: A Call to Action (What advice I would give to the Prime Minister?).

 

Fake Overseas Degrees

 The issue of fake degrees from overseas has hit the news. But this is not a new issue.

Concerns have been raised for years -- it has been claimed that people are being admitted to Australian universities based on fake qualifications from overseas.

To its credit, the ABC has covered this issue, but insufficient action has been taken. The worst example that I read was of students who were supposed to have IT degrees, but many of these students "seemed to be unable to understand instructions or understand the material that was put in front of them, and there were, also, cases of students who apparently didn't understand how to use a computer in any sophisticated way, so even logging on was a struggle for some students. There were also stories about students not recognizing what a USB stick was and other incidents which you would not expect to see from students who have an IT degree." 

• ABC: Cash Cows https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-05-06/cash-cows/11084858
• ABC: Degrees of Deception https://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-04-21/degrees-of-deception-promo/6398568

There are a number of serious problems in Australian Higher Education. I have highlighted them in these writings:

• "The Education Crisis in Australia," The Mannkal Foundation, https://www.mannkal.org/research-publications/the-education-crisis-in-australia/
• "Let’s Cheer For Change: The Need for University Reform," Institute of Public Affairs https://ipa.org.au/ipa-review-articles/lets-cheer-for-change

In Today's Spectator: A wake-up call for Australia

The failures of this government’s leadership made the Bondi attack inevitable.

How many attacks with the same ideological profile does it take to wake Australia up?

Labor’s ideological blind spots have failed the nation. A coalition committed to unity, robust intelligence, and the unapologetic defence of democratic values is essential. Terrorism thrives on apathy; only decisive action can reclaim our safety.

We now face the urgent question: Will Australia awaken before the next Hanukkah candle flickers?

Please read more at https://www.spectator.com.au/2025/12/a-wake-up-call-for-australia/

Radio ZZZ Interview

I was honoured to be interviewed on Radio ZZZ for the L'Chaim program. We covered Hamas and the war in Gaza, Jewish faith and belief, and Western democracy.

My interview starts at 3:20.

https://omny.fm/shows/lchaim-to-life/lchaim-to-life-s14-e13-03-12-2025

The Law is an Ass – The Kachana Station Donkey Story

 Not my writing, but a brilliant piece by John Ogilvie at "Backbone Australia."

The Law is an Ass – The Kachana Station Donkey Story

https://backboneaustralia.com/article/the-law-is-an-ass-the-kachana-station-donkey-story/

John Ogilvie explains how Western Australia's narrow-minded bureaucracy is condemning animals to death and undoing years of positive environmental management -- which has seen a dusty desert turned into a productive environment.

Was Israel’s response to Oct 7 disproportionate?

 

Was Israel’s response to Oct 7 disproportionate?

Accusations against Israel stem from emotive, unverified tolls and a shallow grasp of moral standards.

My latest article, in the Australian Jewish News, argues against the accusation that Israel's actions against Hamas are "disproportionate." I argue that such actions confuse proportionality (the measures needed to neutralise a threat) with symmetry (the number of casualties). I conclude that Israel's response has been justified and that responsibility for the casualties rests with Hamas-- the unjust aggressor.

https://www.australianjewishnews.com/was-israels-response-to-oct-7-disproportionate/

ISIS Brides and the ghosts of Raqqa

 The ‘Brides of ISIS’ narrative is a seductive myth that blinds us to reality.

These women weren’t brides in a fairy tale; they were cogs in a death cult. To repatriate them blindly means that Australia courts the ghosts of Raqqa on our own soil.

To read the article, please go to https://www.spectator.com.au/2025/10/isis-brides-and-the-ghosts-of-raqqa/