Person Not Convicted for Showing Swastika at Pro-Palestine Demonstration
Alan Yazbek, a prominent restauranteur, pleaded guilty to displaying a Nazi symbol, specifically a swastika, but the magistrate accepted his ‘regret’ for his actions. The owner of well-known Sydney and Melbourne restaurants was not deemed a neo-Nazi or right-wing extremist by the magistrate, who declined to convict him for holding an anti-Semitic sign at a pro-Palestinian rally. The incident occurred in Sydney’s Hyde Park on the anniversary of Hamas’ attack in 2023. Yazbek, co-owner of the Nomad Restaurant Group, had drawn the swastika in place of the Star of David on a homemade sign reading “stop Nazi Israel,” featuring the colors of the Israeli flag. When approached by police officers during the protest, he referred to the image as an “Israeli swastika.” Additionally, he was photographed on the same day holding a flag in the colors of the militant group Hezbollah, a designated terrorist organization in Australia. Despite pleading guilty, Yazbek was not convicted, and the magistrate placed him on a 12-month conditional release, emphasizing that he deeply regretted his actions. The magistrate stressed that Yazbek was not a Nazi supporter and had faced consequences for his actions, including backlash from the public and the hospitality industry. Following the guilty plea, his wife and business partner announced his withdrawal from managing Nomad’s operations. In a statement, Yazbek expressed trauma from the ongoing conflict in the Middle East and offered apologies to the Jewish community for his offensive actions.
