Man charged over threat to ‘blow up Jewish community centre in Melbourne’s Caulfield

A Brisbane man has been charged by counter-terrorism investigators over an alleged threat made towards the Beth Weizmann Jewish Community Centre in Melbourne’s Caulfield.

Caulfield's Beth Weizmann Jewish Community Centre. Picture: Jewish Community Council of Victoria

A Brisbane man has been charged after he allegedly threatened to “blow up” a Jewish community centre in Melbourne.

The 52-year-old man was arrested by detectives from Queensland’s Counter-Terrorism Investigation Group on Saturday night over the alleged “verbal” threat made towards the Beth Weizmann Jewish Community Centre in Caulfield earlier that day.

While Queensland Police provided no detail of the allegation, sources have told The Australian that the man allegedly threatened via a now-deleted social media post to “blow up” the Beth Weizmann Centre, which is home to 17 Jewish organisations.

He has been charged with using a carriage service to menace, harass or cause offence.

Investigators do not believe the alleged threat is related to the firebombing of Adass Israel Synagogue at Ripponlea on Friday – which is being treated as a terrorist attack – despite the locations being only 2.5km apart.

Beth Weizmann Centre president Elyse Schachna thanked Queensland Police for their swift action.

“Beth Weizmann Jewish Community Centre is a hub of Jewish life,” she said.

“Children attend Jewish studies classes, there is a Jewish library on site, and many of our community organisations have offices there.

“Our Jewish community is reeling from these unrelenting threats to our security and safety. We need all Australians to say ‘enough is enough’. We want to be left in peace to live our lives. We want an Australia where we are all safe.”

Queensland Police Commissioner Steve Gollschewski said this was an “extremely serious offence”.

“We know the focus on this (anti-Semitism) at the moment,” he said.

“The Queensland Police Service is absolutely committed to making sure that every Queenslander and people from minority groups feels safe.

“They have that right, and we are committed to supporting them. We have an excellent relationship with the Jewish community here in Queensland.”

While the man lives in the Brisbane suburb of Holland Park, he was arrested more than two hours away at Yarraman State Forrest. He will appear before the Nanango Magistrates Court on January 16, 2025.

It is allegedly the second time this year that the Caulfield centre has been targeted, after the word “genocide” was graffitied onto the entrance in January. In a separate incident in November 2023, a ‘Wall of Hope’ erected to remember the Israeli hostages taken on October 7, 2023, was desecrated with “Free Palestine”.