Man charged over sending federal, state MPs antisemitic death threats

AFP counterterrorism and special investigations command assistant commissioner Stephen Nutt said the police were tirelessly investigating antisemitic conduct under special operation Avalite.

“Parliamentarians and members of our community should not have to endure vile threats based on their race, religion, or ethnicity,” he said in a statement.

“The community should expect further charges … Special Operation Avalite has a number of individuals under investigation.”

Vandals smashing windows and using flammable liquid to set fires at the office of Jewish Labor MP Josh Burns in June last year was a recent example of a politician being targeted by antisemitism.

Labor MP Peter Khalil also had his electorate office in Melbourne’s northern suburbs targeted.

Federal parliament this week was dominated by how the Albanese government was addressing the rise in antisemitism, as Labor introduced mandatory jail sentences for terror and Nazi-related offences – defying the party’s own policy platform against mandatory sentences.

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Last month, it was revealed police discovered a caravan in the northern Sydney suburb of Dural. The caravan contained a note with the address of a Sydney synagogue and enough stolen explosives to create a 40-metre blast wave.

The announcement shocked the country as it was thought Anthony Albanese found out about the caravan at the same time as the public, and the prime minister repeatedly refused to answer questions about whether he had been briefed on the matter.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton said on Thursday he had written to Albanese asking for an independent inquiry into the communications between security agencies, police and the government over the caravan discovery. Albanese argued instead it was more important to track down the perpetrators.

Federal Police Commissioner Reece Kershaw also came under intense lines of questioning before a hearing of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Law Enforcement on Thursday, as he refused to answer whether he briefed Albanese before the caravan discovery was leaked to the media.

“I am conscious that this is a public hearing and it’s not an appropriate forum for us to provide information relating to an ongoing investigation,” Kershaw said on Thursday.

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