‘What I’m doing here and now is a form of protesting’: Burgertory boss Hash Tayeh in Egypt

The boss of the Burgertory chain says he is still in the dark about what sparked a blaze that destroyed one of his restaurants and fuelled clashes between Melbourne’s Jewish and Palestinian communities.

Burgertory chain boss Hash Tayeh says he is still in the dark about what sparked a blaze that destroyed one of his restaurants and fuelled clashes between Melbourne’s Jewish and Palestinian communities.

Mr Tayeh, who recently flew to Egypt to help with aid relief for Palestinians affected by Israel’s bombardment of Gaza, said the police investigation into the cause of the suspicious fire at his Caulfield restaurant last month was ongoing.

The restaurant owner is understood to have provided a statement to police in the wake of the fire, during which people can be seen running into the shop and torching it, before he jetted off overseas.

Hash Tayeh has flown to Egypt to help with aid relief for Palestinians. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

“Our lawyers have forwarded statements from myself, the venue manager and the area manager to the investigating officers,” he told the Herald Sun.

“As it is an ongoing investigation the police have not provided us with further information.”

Two people smashed their way into Burgertory and set the building alight in the early hours of November 10.

Mr Tayeh initially claimed the Glen Huntly Rd fire was a hate crime, which sparked wild scenes in which pro-Palestinian protesters clashed with police.

But Chief Commissioner Shane Patton later said that was not the motivation.

Mr Tayeh flew to Egypt this week where he has been working in various aid centres preparing relief packages that will be sent to civilians in Gaza.

The burger boss has been working alongside Muslim charity Penny Appeal, which provides poverty relief across the Middle East, to help raise funds for Palestinians.

“We have raised a significant sum of money towards aid to displaced, injured and affected Palestinians and the aim of travelling is to make sure that the funds raised are genuinely being used in the aid of consumable necessities and sanitary/hygiene goods that are desperately needed,” Mr tayeh said.

He said it was crucial for different communities to unite amid the Israel-Gaza conflict.

“Australia has always been a great example to the world of what unity, diversity and love for each other looks like,” he said.

“We need to stick together to make sure anti semitism and Islamophobia don’t become ripe in our communities. We Australians are and always have been better than that.”

Mr Tayeh has been a vocal critic of the conflict in Gaza and is understood to have attended several rallies in Melbourne’s CBD in support of Palestinian civilians.

“As you all see, every single Sunday, I stand up, I go out and I raise my voice with the rest of you calling for a free Palestine,” he said in an Instagram video.

There were wild scenes in Caulfield, in which pro-Palestinian protesters clashed with police.

Mr Tayeh and several employees can be seen packing boxes with food and hygiene supplies as the businessman documents each day of their overseas aid journey.

“Putting these toothbrushes in these boxes is also calling for a free Palestine,” he said.

“What I’m doing here and now is a form of protesting.

“It’s telling the oppressors that we will not stop in supporting our cause and supporting our people.

“We will not stop calling for the freedom of Palestinian people. We will not stop calling for the human rights of Palestinian people and we will not stop standing up with our brothers and sisters in Palestine.”

Mr Tayeh thanks his “amazing” team in Melbourne who have continued operations of his restaurant chain while he was overseas amid the arson probe.

“I’m grateful to have an amazing head office team back home that are doing an amazing job running the business while I give my attention to people that are in dire need of our support,” he said.

A Victoria Police statement said the arson investigation remained “active and ongoing”.

“The owner’s whereabouts is not a matter for police. Investigators cannot stipulate whether it is a hate crime but early indications were it is not a hate crime,” the statement said.