‘Divided Loyalty’: Australian Jewish Army Officer Stripped of Security Clearance Over Israel Links

Latest Developments

• ‘Vulnerable to Influence’: A tribunal in Australia has upheld the decision of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) to strip the security clearance of a Jewish officer with the Australian Defence Force (ADF), claiming that his admitted affinity with the State of Israel left him “vulnerable to influence or coercion to enable acts of espionage or foreign interference by Israeli Intelligence Services.” In a decision dated February 20, the tribunal stated that it was satisfied that the evidence and materials submitted “reasonably support and justify ASIO’s opinions the Applicant’s divided loyalty and his failure to provide full and frank disclosure of his CSG [Community Security Group – an Australian Jewish community voluntary organization] training activities and contacts in Israel are not compatible with his obligations as a security clearance holder.”
• ‘My Loyalty Is With Australia’: The Jewish officer, given the anonymous name of “HWMW” in media coverage of the case, was alleged to have withheld information about training courses he attended in Israel during 2016 and 2019 that included self-defense, security, and weapons training. In a written statement presented to the tribunal, the officer reportedly stated, “Allowing Jews to serve within the ADF must come with an understanding that the Jew will have a level of loyalty for the Jewish Nation and for [the] State of Israel.” However, in oral evidence given in March 2022, the officer stressed that “my loyalty is with Australia,” vehemently rejecting the suggestion that he would pass on privileged or secret information sourced in Australia to the Jewish state. “Under no circumstances would I pass over anything onto Israel, under any myriad of matters, whether it [sic] beneficial or not beneficial,” he said.
• Tribunal Denies Antisemitic Discrimination: The case has made headlines as Australian Jews endure an unprecedented wave of antisemitism, including assaults, arson attacks, vandalism, and pro-Hamas demonstrations that have featured anti-Jewish slogans. However, the tribunal denied that its decision was discriminatory, saying that it was “the Applicant’s past conduct which has raised security concerns in this case, not his Jewish faith or Jewish cultural identity.” Asked about the case at a press gathering on February 24, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese declined to answer, saying, “I don’t comment on national security issues in press conferences.”

FDD Expert Response

“This has all the makings of a modern Australian Dreyfus Affair. The late 19th-century sham conviction of a French Jewish officer suspected of dual loyalties, a major landmark in the development of Zionism, helped convince many Jews that they would never be safe as minorities scattered across the globe. This unfortunate case in Australia amid a resurgence of antisemitism reinforces the feeling among many Jews in the diaspora that they will always be viewed with suspicion as outsiders.” — David May, Research Manager and Senior Research Analyst  

“Along with the deeply sinister historical overtones associated with this case — which the Australian authorities either have no awareness of or simply don’t care about — the message being communicated here is that Israel, a Western democracy and a Western ally, should automatically be treated with suspicion and that Jewish officers cannot be trusted in this regard. This flies in the face of the statement made by a Muslim army officer at an ADF recruitment event held at a Melbourne mosque just a few weeks after the Hamas atrocities of October 7, 2023, who said that ‘defense is diverse, it is inclusive, and it is actively looking to better reflect the community we serve.’” —  Ben Cohen, Senior Analyst and Rapid Response Director 

FDD Background and Analysis

“Jewish Community Daycare Center Torched in Latest Antisemitic Outrage in Australia,” FDD Flash Brief

“‘Act of Antisemitism’: Synagogue Set Ablaze in Melbourne,” FDD Flash Brief

“The Australian Government Allowed Hate Speech Against Jews and Israel; Then a Synagogue Was Burned,” by David May