A 52-year-old man from northern Queensland, Australia, has been charged with two hate crime offenses following alleged antisemitic threats targeting the Queensland Zionist Council.
Chris McComb, a resident of Mossman, is accused of calling for Jews and Israelis to be expelled from Australia, among other demands.
The Queensland Zionist Council confirmed that it received the message. In a statement quoted by The Courier-Mail, the council said it received an online message through the contact form on its website in early July 2026 that contained "explicit threats."
Police took steps to protect the identity of the council representative who received the message. The council and the Zionist Federation of Australia said they supported the decision not to disclose the person's identity.
The council used the case to warn about what it described as a growing and dangerous trend: the use of terms such as "Zionists" and "anti-Zionism" as a cover for statements that are, in practice, directed at Jews and Israelis.
Anti-Zionism: a tool for a modern Jewish hatred
"Anti-Zionism has increasingly become a tool for a modern form of anti-Jewish hatred," the council said. It added that such rhetoric "presents itself as political commentary, while in practice it is used as a means of threatening, defaming, and intimidating Jews and Israelis."
The council added that the case "reflects a broader pattern" and said it has been warning government officials, police, and online platforms about it for some time.
Australian Police arrested McComb on August 27 in an area north of Cairns. The newly established joint hate crime team of Queensland Police and the Australian Federal Police is carrying out the investigation. The team combines investigators from Queensland's counterterrorism unit with Australian Federal Police national security investigators.
McComb himself, however, has not been charged with any terrorism offenses at this time.
"The harm to social cohesion at the local community level ultimately affects Australia's national security," Australian Federal Police Detective Superintendent Anthony Conway said. "We will not allow divisive and hateful rhetoric to grow and spread."
The case comes amid a sharp increase in reports of antisemitism in Queensland. Jason Steinberg, president of the Queensland Jewish Board of Deputies, told The Australian that more than 100 reported antisemitic incidents have already been recorded in the state this year.
"It is deeply concerning to know that antisemitism, hatred, and the intent to harm Jews have not stopped in our country," he said.
Paul Myers, a Jewish community leader, told The Courier-Mail that the charges show that when hatred moves from words to threats, the law takes action. He said it was particularly concerning how normalized this type of hatred has become and "how often it is now hidden behind the language of political opinion."