Burgertory boss Hash Tayeh will stop attending weekly pro-Palestine rallies
Outspoken restaurateur and pro-Palestine activist Hash Tayeh said he will give up his public campaigning because the rallies have become a place of “division and judgement”.
Victoria
Don't miss out on the headlines from Victoria. Followed categories will be added to My News.
An outspoken restaurateur turned pro-Palestine activist has blamed his move to stop attending Melbourne’s weekly rallies on “division and judgement”.
Burgertory founder Hash Tayeh had emerged as a prominent Palestinian activist following Hamas’ October 7 attack last year.
The atrocity, which prompted retaliation from Israel in Gaza, sparked weekly mass demonstrations across major Australian cities, including in Melbourne, where Mr Tayeh had given speeches and marched.
But this week Mr Tayeh announced that he would be giving up his public campaigning because the pro-Palestine cause had become “a playground for egos”.
“I will no longer attend these Sunday rallies, but my heart remains with Palestine, with our First Nations people, and with all the oppressed,” he wrote on Instagram.
“I will continue my activism in the background, with a clean heart, away from the toxicity and ridicule.
“It’s heartbreaking that many of us have been made to feel this way. We’ve become our own worst enemies.”
Mr Tayeh’s comments come after the week of chaos that unfolded on the streets of Melbourne’s CBD.
The Burgertory boss did not attend the biggest day of carnage on Wednesday last week, when about 1200 violent demonstrators stormed the Land Forces weapons conference and assaulted police, lit fires and carried out acts of animal cruelty against police horses.
He addressed a more peaceful crowd of pro-Palestine supporters the following day, where he called on the Australian government to “stop arming Israel”.
“I don’t claim to have all the answers, but I find joy in learning from those around me. Along the way, I’ve stumbled, made mistakes, but also taken steps that have helped shine a light on the plight of the oppressed,” he said online.
“Lately, however, the Sunday pro-Palestine rallies have become something I can no longer stand behind.
“What once was a movement for justice has turned into a space filled with competition, cliques, and judgement.”
Amid his prominent attendance at the weekly protests, Mr Tayeh had become embroiled in his own controversies.
In July, he faced allegations he incited hatred against Jewish people and faced police questioning over the claims.
The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions is reviewing that case.
In April, suspected arsonists threw a firebomb at the front door of Mr Tayeh’s Templestowe Lower home.
In November last year, arsonists torched his Caulfield Burgertory restaurant amid tense clashes between Melbourne’s Palestinian and Jewish communities.
“I didn’t risk my business, my family, and my mental health for this,” Mr Tayeh said.
“I risked it for Palestine and for all who suffer under oppression.”
What Dad’s dementia diagnosis taught me about love and life
My dad was my hero but when he was diagnosed with vascular dementia in 2020, our roles began to reverse.
Lives lost, more at risk as ambo crisis worsens
Whistleblowers have lifted the lid on Ambulance Victoria’s toxic culture, with paramedics concerned “the service is crumbling” and people’s lives are being put at risk.