New South Wales Premier Chris Minns has emphasized the urgent need for collective action against terrorism and extremism amid warnings from Australia’s spy chief about a heightened terror threat. Speaking ahead of the royal commission into antisemitism’s upcoming focus on media organisations, Minns described the risk as a "grim reality" and urged all Australians to confront hatred in society.

The royal commission, established in response to the antisemitic attack in Bondi late last year, will next turn its attention to how antisemitic content and other forms of hate speech are spread both online and through traditional media and broadcasting outlets. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) has faced scrutiny for its coverage of the Israel-Hamas conflict and the subsequent tensions within the country.

Government officials have underscored the responsibility of publicly funded bodies, including arts festivals, galleries, and broadcasters, to uphold anti-discrimination principles. The government’s special envoy to combat antisemitism recently advocated for the withdrawal of funding from any publicly supported individuals or organisations found to be facilitating antisemitism. Meanwhile, the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, the largest Jewish representative body nationally, has called for current and former ABC editors to be compelled to testify before the commission.

Last week, ASIO Director-General Mike Burgess raised concerns about the nation’s security environment, noting that the "probable" threat level understates the complexity of violent antisemitism, which he described as a multifaceted intelligence challenge. Minns echoed these warnings, recalling the horror of the Bondi attack — Australia’s deadliest terrorism event — in which innocent Jewish Australians were targeted and killed because of their religion.

“It’s a horrifying prospect to think that we would go through that again,” Minns told Sky News. “Australians need to be vigilant about it.”

The Premier stressed that combating extremism requires broad effort, extending beyond law enforcement agencies such as NSW Police and ASIO, and beyond the Jewish community, which he acknowledged has already borne significant hardship. He called for vigilance not only in public spaces but also online and within communities, where racist and antisemitic behaviour persists.

“We need to confront it,” Minns said. “All of us need to step up and say this is not acceptable.”