A few days ago, I posted about Al Yazbek, the successful restaurants business owner who served up some antisemitism at an anti-Israel rally when he held up a sign comparing Israel to Nazi Germany.
I ended the post with:
I am not sure whether Al will end up in jail (I assume not), but what I can assume is that after his antisemitic act has been publicized far and wide, and his restaurants (Nomad Sydney and Reine & La Rue) boycotted by Jews and in fact everyone who detests Jew-hatred, he might have to scale back his opulent lifestyle somewhat.
Which would be a crying shame.
And sure enough, his business is suffering, with mass cancellations and threats to boycott:
The future of the Nomad restaurant empire built by Al Yazbek could be under threat following the revelation the 56-year-old founder is facing charges after allegedly holding a Nazi sign at a pro-Palestine rally, with the group’s social media pages flooded with hundreds of messages of disgust and a boycott threatened by long-time patrons.
Mr Yazbek has been charged by NSW police with knowingly displaying a Nazi symbol in public after he allegedly held a sign at Sunday’s rally featuring a swastika superimposed on the Israeli flag, and bearing the words “Stop Nazi Israel”.
Mass cancellations have been reported at Mr Yazbek’s popular Nomad restaurants in Sydney and Melbourne, as well as at the French-inspired Reine & La Rue in Melbourne’s CBD, which won Best New Restaurant at The Age Good Food Guide Awards.
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Mr Yazbek and his wife Rebecca, an interior architect, have built their celebrated restaurants over a decade, but by Wednesday the social media pages of the group’s eateries had been inundated with posts from horrified patrons.
Former Victorian MP Marsha Thomson was one of many patrons who took to social media to say she would be boycotting Mr Yazbek’s restaurants, including Nomad in Melbourne, where she had dined “multiple times”.
“I will not be going to Nomad restaurant in Melbourne ever again”, Ms Thomson wrote on X, vowing also never to go to Reine and LaRue.
Public relations veteran Judi Hausmann said Mr Yazbek had asked her to do PR when he opened his Toko restaurant on Oxford St in Paddington and she had declined.
“Now I’m going to do your PR for free and make sure that all your clients know that Al Yazbek was the despicable creature arrested for defacing an Israeli flag with a swastika,” she wrote. “I hope you get a very long jail sentence. And that you enjoy the food in there!”
Lorraine Folb wrote: “I have loved and visited Nomad multiple times over the years. It has been a favourite restaurant of mine. Now sadly with owners or at least the view of Alan Yazbek having no moral compass nor compassion nor sensitivity for the atrocities of October 7 in Israel, 2023, it would be inconceivable for me to return to Nomad.”
David Kalinski asked: “Does the Swastika come before or after dessert?”
Another wrote: “He will soon be calling in the liquidators, and he deserves everything that comes his way.”
One said simply: “Nazi”
Another: “Terrible mistake, we are going to destroy you.”
A recent post about fresh dishes “to celebrate the new season” was met with comments such as: “Do all your dishes come with a side of anti-Semitism?”
But it gets worse. You see, Al has an Israeli Jewish landlord!
Besieged Sydney restaurateur Al Yazbek may have a fresh battle on his hands, with reports the Jewish landlord of his Nomad eatery is dismayed that her tenant has been charged with holding a Nazi sign at a pro-Palestine rally.
Mr Yazbek’s swanky Nomad restaurant is housed in a Surry Hills building owned by prominent Sydney real estate investors Robert and Guela Burke through their company Hanave Pty Ltd.
Guela Burke, who is originally from Israel, is a well-regarded and popular volunteer at a Sydney Jewish school The Australian won’t identify for security reasons.
The Burkes did not respond to requests for comment but sources in the Jewish community say the couple are unhappy with the alleged conduct of Mr Yazbek, who has been charged by NSW police with knowingly displaying a Nazi symbol in public after he allegedly held a sign at Sunday’s rally featuring a swastika superimposed on the Israeli flag, and bearing the words “Stop Nazi Israel”.
Not just that, but his co-head chef is also Israeli!
The venue’s head pastry chef, Enza Soto, told the Herald Sun she was “lost for words” that her boss had allegedly been involved in anti-Semitic behaviour due to the co-head chef Rotem Papo being an Israeli-born Jew.
The newspaper reports at least one senior chef resigned “effective immediately” from Nomad following the charges.
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He is set to face Downing Centre Local Court on October 24.
Oh, and there’s this:
One poster recalled that Mr Yazbek had once invited British-Israeli chef Yotam Ottolenghi to take over the kitchen for an event at the restaurant. The Mediterranean Feast dinner at Nomad restaurant in 2014 sold out in four minutes.
“You loved the notoriety of one of the greatest chefs in the world being a drawcard … you certainly welcomed Israelis back then. Last I heard, you won’t be getting humus and falafel in jail.”
If I didn’t know any better, I’d say he loved Israel.
I wonder if he will take an Israeli lawyer.
Meanwhile, it has emerged he loves his antisemitism with a side of terror support:
The backlash comes as new images emerge of the 56-year-old restaurateur holding a flag in the yellow and green colours of Hezbollah with a Ned Kelly-like figure holding a gun, with the words “the boys in green and gold will win”.
Several protesters at the rally in Hyde Park used images that appeared to be designed to skirt laws against displaying the insignia of the terrorist group.
“Clever, huh?” Mr Yazbek can be heard saying.
“The resistance is always evolving,” he added.
In a video captured by The Australian, Mr Yazbek is asked why he thinks it’s clever.
“It’s clever in and of itself,” he replies.
Clever and Al Yazbek goes about as well together as knafeh and vegemite.