Australian police have confirmed that a “caravan terror plot” targeting a synagogue in Sydney back in January was a “fabricated terrorism plot” orchestrated by criminals.
The caravan, discovered in north-western Sydney on January 19, contained enough explosives to produce a 40-metre-wide blast, along with a note displaying antisemitic messages and a list of Jewish synagogues.
But on Monday, the Australian Federal Police (AFP) revealed that they knew “almost immediately” that the caravan was “essentially a criminal con job.”
However, this crucial information was withheld from the public for nearly two months, and the spectre of a terror attack on Jewish Australians — and what exactly the government was doing in response — dominated debate when Parliament returned in February.
Federal politicians and affected representative bodies are now being accused of subsequently fanning the flames of a so-called explosion in antisemitism, and in the process, rushing through far-reaching hate speech legislation that may erode the freedoms of some Australians.
Independent MP Rod Roberts has claimed the New South Wales (NSW) Parliament “acted out of fear” and was “misled” when it hastily passed new hate speech legislation, believing that antisemitic attacks spurred by hate were on the rise.
The laws, introduced in February, made it a criminal offence to intentionally incite racial hatred, carrying a maximum penalty of up to two years’ imprisonment or fines of up to $11,000.
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“We were led to believe that Sydney was a hotspot for antisemitic crime at the time, and hence the need for the legislation we introduced. It is my view that we have been misled. We acted out of fear, really; as parliamentarians, we were told this was needed, and that’s what we did. But as it turns out, it was all a fabrication.”
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has since revealed he knew the incident was not terrorism-related “for some time.”
“It was a hoax, and the police have conducted a thorough and full investigation. They gave full briefings in appropriate forums, and briefings were available to others who chose not to receive them.
“While it was a hoax, and the motivation was about criminal activities and not related to those issues — the fear it created was real.”
In a statement on Monday, the AFP said its investigation, named Operation Kissinger, has identified a number of people involved in the fake terrorism plot and is working with local and overseas law enforcement to bring them to justice.
More information about the criminal group behind the hoax has not been revealed at this stage.
Pro-Palestine Speech Under Attack
The new hate speech laws, aimed at tackling antisemitism, have sparked concerns among many in Australia that they will be wielded against pro-Palestine voices, who were irrevocably tarnished during the political process.
Globally, pro-Israel lobby groups and activists have been accused of deliberately seeking to shut down anti-Zionism opposition by using politicised definitions of antisemitism, which include criticism of Israel and the political ideology behind its creation as examples of antisemitic beliefs.
In May 2024, Australian students occupying a University of Melbourne building were threatened with “disciplinary action and police action” over their pro-Palestine encampment.
Several other universities also became embroiled in heated disputes with students over their pro-Palestine activism.
In February, Australia’s 39 universities endorsed a controversial definition of antisemitism that will be enforced on campuses, following pressure from a Senate inquiry after rancorous protests about the Gaza war.
The IHRA definition of anti-Semitism has been condemned by rights groups and activists around the world for gagging free speech to criticise Israel and Zionism.
Mohamed Duar, Amnesty International Australia’s Occupied Palestinian Territory Spokesperson, warned against the adoption of the Zionist-backed definition.
“By adopting this definition, universities will be characterising peaceful protest as a punishable offence. This sets a chilling precedent where students exercising their political rights are vilified and silenced.”
