"Deport Jews and Israelis from Australia": 52-year-old man charged with antisemitic threats against the Zionist Council

A 52-year-old man from northern Queensland, Australia, is charged with two hate crime offenses following antisemitic threats allegedly directed at the Zionist Council of Queensland. Chris Macomb, a resident of the town of Mossman, is suspected of demanding, among other things, the deportation of Jews and Israelis from Australia.

The Council confirmed it received the message. In a statement provided to the media, and quoted in the "Courier Mail" newspaper, it stated that in early July 2026, a message containing "explicit threats" was received via the contact form on its website. The police took steps to protect the identity of the Council representative who received the message, and the Council and the Zionist Federation of Australia announced they support the decision not to disclose his identity.

The Council also used the incident to warn against what it describes as a new and dangerous pattern: the use of the terms "Zionists" and "anti-Zionism" as a cover for statements actually directed at Jews and Israelis.

"Anti-Zionism has increasingly become a tool for a modern form of anti-Jewish hatred," the Council stated.

According to them, this discourse "presents itself as political commentary, while in practice it serves as a means to threaten, defame, and intimidate Jews and Israelis." The Council added that the case "reflects a broader pattern" about which it has been warning the government, police, and online platforms for some time.

Macomb was arrested on August 27 in the area north of Cairns. The investigation is being conducted by the new joint hate crimes team of the Queensland Police and the Australian Federal Police, which combines investigators from the Queensland Counter-Terrorism Unit with national security investigators from the AFP. However, Macomb is not charged with a terrorism offense.

"Damage to social cohesion at the local community level ultimately affects Australia's national security," said Assistant Commissioner Anthony Conway of the Federal Police. "We will not allow divisive and hate-filled rhetoric to grow and spread."

The incident occurs against the backdrop of a sharp rise in reports of antisemitism in Queensland. Jason Steinberg, president of the Jewish Community Council of Queensland, told "The Australian" newspaper that more than 100 reported antisemitic incidents have already been recorded in the state during the year. "It is very disturbing to know that antisemitism, hatred, and the intent to harm Jews have not ceased in our country," he said.

Paul Myers, one of the leaders of the Jewish community, told the "Courier Mail" newspaper that the indictment proves that when hatred moves from words to threats, the law takes action. According to him, it is particularly worrying how normalized this type of hatred has become and "how often it is hidden today behind the language of political opinion."

Just last week, it was reported that a woman in the UK was convicted after she attacked children, cursed a mother who was with a baby, and hit the father of the family in an antisemitic incident. Since the beginning of the year, 1,926 antisemitic incidents have been reported in the UK - an increase of 21% compared to the same period in 2025.