‘Deeply offensive’: Sydney restaurateur apologises after alleged Nazi sign

A restaurateur charged with displaying a Nazi symbol at a pro-Palestine rally in Sydney has issued an apology after a furious response to his alleged actions.

Al Yazbek was arrested following marches last week marking one year since the beginning of the war in Gaza.

Police allege the 56-year-old man displayed the swastika on a sign pictured as showing the Israeli flag.

Mr Yazhek is the owner of up-market restaurants Nomad Sydney and Nomad Melbourne, as well as Reine & La Rue.

In a statement seen by The Australian on Friday, Yazhek “apologised unequivocally” for his actions at the rally.

He said the sign he allegedly carried during the pro-Palestine rally was “deeply offensive to the Jewish community”.

“You can be sure that [I] will do all I can to regain the trust of my wonderful staff, our loyal customers, and the broader community,” he said.

“Friends and acquaintances who know me – both Jewish and gentile – know that I am not an anti-Semite.

“They also know how passionate I am about supporting diversity and equality in both my personal life and within the NOMAD Group of businesses.”

Mr Yazek said he was “traumatised daily by the ongoing bloodshed” in the Middle East – in Israel, Palestine, and Lebanon – and vowed that “we must make it stop”.

“Again, I apologise unreservedly” he said.

“To the wider Jewish community, and in particular my Jewish friends, staff and guests of NOMAD both past and present, I offer an olive branch of peace and love.

“Salam Alaykum (Peace be upon you).”

Mr Yazbek and his wife Rebecca, an interior architect, built the celebrated NOMAD restaurant group over the course of a decade.

In the wake of his arrest, there were reports of mass cancellations at the couple’s Sydney and Melbourne venues.

The Facebook page for the restaurant group had restricted who could comment on its posts, with reports pages had been inundated by posts from horrified patrons.

Champagne house GH Mumm had also reportedly ended its partnership with Reine & La Rue, a French-style restaurant, after Mr Yazbek was charged.

Banking giant Goldman Sachs also confirmed it had cancelled a client event that was scheduled to be held next week at Nomad in Melbourne.

On Friday, it was also revealed that NOMAD had been dropped from both The Age and Sydney Morning Herald’s The Good Food Guides

Mr Yazbek was arrested at the pro-Palestine rally in Sydney on October 5.

He was later taken to Surry Hills Police Station where he was charged with knowingly displaying a Nazi symbol in public.

He was granted bail to appear before court later this month.