A 41-year-old man from Victoria has been arrested and charged for allegedly threatening to kill and making anti-Jewish remarks towards a federal legislator. The arrest occurred on Tuesday after an Australian federal police search of his home in the Melbourne suburb of Officer. The man allegedly made multiple contact with the MP over social media between 1st January and 19th February this year, issuing death threats and anti-Jewish comments. He is charged with using a telecommunications service to threaten and intimidate, which carries a maximum sentence of seven years in prison. Releasing him on bail, he’s scheduled to appear in Dandenong Magistrates’ Court on June 19.

Operation Avalite, launched last December following an arson attack on the Adass Israel synagogue in Ripponlea, Melbourne, is investigating this incident. Authorized to investigate threats, violence, and hate towards the Australian Jewish community and lawmakers, it collaborates with state and territory police but does not replicate their investigations.

“We will not let anti-Semitism fester in the Australian community,” stated AFP Assistant Commissioner Stephen Nutt. People engaging in such behavior can expect a visit from the authorities and a prompt court appearance. No one, whether an elected official or a regular citizen, should face vile, hateful threats based on one’s race, religion, or ethnicity.

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/mar/18/victorian-man-officer-charged-alleged-antisemitic-comments-death-threats-mp-ntwnfb