Alan Yazbek: Nomad Group restaurateur pleads guilty to Israel protest nazi swastika display

A high-profile restaurateur has admitted to displaying a swastika at a pro-Palestinian rally after being charged under laws prohibiting the use of Nazi symbols.

Alan Yazbek appeared at Downing Centre Local Court on Thursday when his lawyer entered a guilty plea on his behalf ahead of sentencing.

The co-owner of the Nomad Restaurant Group was pictured holding a sign bearing the symbol during a pro-Palestine rally in Sydney on October 6.

The sign featured the words “stop Nazi Israel” and bore the colours of the Israeli flag with a swastika in place of the Star of David.

Yazbek was among thousands of people who attended the city-centre rally, which was held a day before the anniversary of the deadly October 7 terrorist attacks by Hamas on Israel.

The 56-year-old was arrested at the protest and charged with knowingly displaying a Nazi symbol without reasonable excuse, which carries a maximum sentence of 12 months in prison or an $11,000 fine.

He was also photographed holding a flag in colours matching those of the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, which is a listed terrorist organisation in Australia.

On Wednesday, his wife and business partner Rebecca Yazbek said her husband was no longer involved in managing Nomad’s operations following a public and hospitality industry backlash.

Their company operates the critically acclaimed Nomad restaurants in Sydney and Melbourne, where it also owns the French-themed Reine & La Rue.

“As both his wife and business partner, I was furious with his actions and heartbroken by the harm they caused,” Ms Yazbek said in the statement.

“I fully understand the disappointment and frustration felt by those affected, and I am committed to doing everything possible to restore your trust.”

Ms Yazbek said the company had operated for more than a decade based on “inclusivity, integrity, respect, dedication and excellence”.

“Our actions in response to Al’s behaviour demonstrate our commitment to honouring these values,” she said.

Yazbek previously released his statement apologising for his actions and acknowledging the sign was “deeply offensive to the Jewish community”.

“Friends and acquaintances who know me - both Jewish and gentile - know that I am not an anti-Semite,” he said in the statement.

Yazbek added he had been traumatised every day by the ongoing bloodshed in the Middle East.

“Within Israel, in Palestine and now in Lebanon. We must make it stop,” 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.”

The protest attended by Yazbek featured a steep increase in attendance from previous rallies following an escalation of violence in the Middle East into Lebanon.

Some 1200 people were killed and another 250 were abducted when Hamas attacked Israel.

More than 42,000 have been killed in subsequent Israeli strikes in Gaza, according to Palestinian officials.