00:02For Rabbi Elie Feldman, the Royal Commission on Anti-Semitism's interim report has brought
00:07a mixture of feelings.
00:09It's hard reading. I'm encouraged by the amount of attention and focus that the government
00:14is putting to, obviously via the Royal Commission, to get to the bottom of the failures, the
00:18mistakes.
00:19One of the main findings was that there's been a significant shift in intelligence spending
00:24away from counter-terrorism since 2020. That's despite repeated warnings about the
00:29likelihood of a terrorist attack.
00:31Those predictions are all too accurate as we all now know. But we're also, I think it's
00:37important to stress any situation where the dangers are still there, in some ways have
00:41increased.
00:42All of the agencies since I've been Prime Minister have had increased funding. Whether
00:49it be ASIO, the Australian Signals Directorate, the ACES or the Australian Federal Police.
00:56While the interim report dealt mostly with the issue of counter-terrorism, the Inquiry will
01:01now shift its focus to the impacts of anti-Semitism. Those with a lived experience of anti-Semitism
01:06will be among those giving evidence when the hearings begin next week.
01:09I'd love to see more focus on initiatives to bring the community together, to bring more
01:15good to the world, to increase in light which essentially pushes away the darkness that we
01:20saw at this terrible Hanukkah massacre.
01:23A call for kindness to prevail over hatred.
01:27F
01:27You
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