Task Force Charges First Man in Anti-Semitism Crackdown
A man from Sydney faces charges for making death threats against the Jewish community online
Sydney, Australia, Anti-Semitism, Death Threats, Jewish Community
Sydney: A 44-year-old man has been charged for allegedly threatening members of the Jewish community on social media. This guy is the first to face charges since a special task force was set up to tackle anti-Semitism after a synagogue was firebombed.
According to the police, the man from Blacktown posted some pretty nasty death threats on a Jewish association’s social media page. He’s been charged with making threats to kill and for causing harassment or offense.
Assistant Commissioner Stephen Nutt from the AFP made it clear that this kind of behavior is unacceptable. He said it’s shocking that people are being targeted just because of their race or religion. He warned that anti-Semites should be on alert because the authorities are taking this seriously.
The man has been granted bail and is set to appear in court on February 26. The charges he faces could lead to some serious jail time, with penalties of up to 10 and five years for the respective offenses.
This crackdown is part of Special Operation Avalite, which was launched in December after the arson at Melbourne’s Adass Israel Synagogue. There have been other attacks too, like the ones on cars in Woollahra and the office of Jewish MP Josh Burns.
More than 20 police and analysts are now focused on high-risk anti-Semites, especially those who promote violence or display banned symbols. Nutt mentioned that several individuals are still under investigation, so the community should be ready for more charges to come.