Given that every successful act of terrorism seems to have been committed by a male or males of middle eastern appearance and in the 30 to 40 yr age group, going back as far as PanAm , Lockerbie, and that airport security targets little old ladies and any one not of male, 30/40 yr middle eastern appearance, I don't see any problem with the F/A's being concerned with having a group of them on their flight.
Wasn't this the scenario on Sept 11 ?
Personally, I would have had serious concerns and would have eliminated my personal risk factor by opting out of that flight for a later one.
In this life we all make our own calls, and I have no problem with that of the crew on this flight.
perhaps the gentlemen concerned may have been a bit more sensitive to the image and fears that their neighbours have engendered over the years.
I'm quite sure that El Al management may have been more supportive of the intuition of their cabin staff.
Perhaps the gentlemen may have dressed as Air Force officers instead of emulating the classic terrorist profile and avoided the concern they caused.
I'm not from Sydney or Melbourne, just live in an Anglo Saxon part of Australia, and perhaps that influences me a little as well.