Charged Nomad restaurateur Al Yazbek may be in strife with his Jewish landlord in Sydney

Al Yazbek’s famed Nomad restaurant in Sydney is in a building owned by a prominent Jewish family who are reportedly upset over allegations he held a Nazi sign at a pro-Palestine rally.

Al Yazbek holding a flag at a Sydney rally on Sunday. Picture: Jeremy Piper

Besieged Sydney restaurateur Al Yazbek may have a fresh battle on his hands, with reports the Jewish landlord of his Nomad eatery is dismayed that her tenant has been charged with holding a Nazi sign at a pro-Palestine rally.

Mr Yazbek’s swanky Nomad restaurant is housed in a Surry Hills building owned by prominent Sydney real estate investors Robert and Geula Burke through their company, Hanave Pty Ltd.

Ms Burke, originally from Israel, is a well-regarded and popular volunteer at a Sydney Jewish school, which The Australian won’t identify for security reasons.

The Burkes did not respond to requests for comment but sources in the Jewish community say the couple are unhappy with the alleged conduct of Mr Yazbek, who has been charged by NSW police with knowingly displaying a Nazi symbol in public, after he allegedly held a sign at Sunday’s rally featuring a swastika superimposed on the Israeli flag, and bearing the words “Stop Nazi Israel”.

Nomad Restaurant in Surry Hills. Picture: Supplied

Mass cancellations have been reported at Mr Yazbek’s popular Nomad restaurants in Sydney and Melbourne, as well as at French-inspired Reine & La Rue in Melbourne’s CBD, which won Best New Restaurant at The Age Good Food Guide Awards.

Retired Sydney industrial advocate Tim Abrams had booked a party of 30 at Nomad in Surry Hills to celebrate daughter Anastasia’s wedding in November but cancelled in protest.

“I think what he’s done is disgusting and unconscionable – it’s un-Australian,” said Mr Abrams, who is Catholic. “We have to stand with the people of Israel.”

Several major corporations have cancelled events, with French Champagne house GH Mumm confirming it has ended its partnership with the Reine & La Rue as caterer for its lavish Birdcage marquee during the Melbourne Cup carnival.

Investment bank Goldman Sachs confirmed it had cancelled a client entertainment event scheduled for next week at Nomad in Melbourne.

Reine & La Rue’s head pastry chef, Enza Soto, told the Herald Sun she was “lost for words” that her boss had allegedly been involved in anti-Semitic behaviour, due to co-head chef Rotem Papo being an Israeli-born Jew.

The newspaper reported at least one senior chef resigned “effective immediately” from Nomad following the charges.

The Burkes, through their company, Hanave, have been in a long-running dispute with Mr Yazbek that stemmed from a fire at Nomad restaurant in September 2019. The Yazbeks had begun repairs at the Foster Street property some months later but the Burkes objected on the grounds the Yazbeks’ plans amounted to unauthorised remediation works.

The Burkes sued Mr Yazbek, seeking an injunction to stop him from preventing them from coming on to the premises to “carry out any works reasonable or necessary to comply with the fire safety order”, and for Nomad to pay the costs.

Justice Mark Richmond dismissed the case earlier this year and in June ordered that Hanave had to pay Nomad’s costs for the previous year.

Nomad Restaurant in Surry Hills. Picture: Supplied

The Burkes owned a former Surry Hills millinery factory that was destroyed by fire in May last year. Before it was razed, there were plans to turn the building into a glitzy 114-room hotel, to be dubbed The Hat Hotel, keeping intact its Federation Warehouse-style frontage. The fire was alleged to have been started by two teenagers.

The backlash against Mr Yazbek grew this week when new images emerged of the 56-year-old restaurateur holding a flag in the yellow and green colours of Hezbollah with a Ned Kelly-like figure holding a gun, with the words “the boys in green and gold will win”.

Several protesters at the rally in Hyde Park used images that appeared to be designed to skirt laws against displaying the insignia of the terrorist group.

In a statement, Mr Yazbek told Sydney’s The Daily Telegraph: “So many of us have family in the region. Every loss of life is a tragedy. We’re in mourning.”

Mr Yazbek did not respond to requests for comment from The Australian.