In a recent development, prominent Sydney restaurateur Alan Yazbek has pleaded guilty to displaying a Nazi symbol during a pro-Palestine rally. The co-owner of the Nomad Group appeared at Downing Centre local court on Thursday, where his lawyer confirmed his guilty plea.

The court proceedings highlighted that the 56-year-old’s case has drawn “significant media attention.” At the time of the rally, Yazbek co-owned the Nomad establishment with his wife, Rebecca Yazbek. His barrister, Phillip English, presented a substantial file to Magistrate Mark Whelan, who scheduled a sentencing hearing for December 10. The offense carries a potential maximum penalty of 12 months in jail and an $11,000 fine.

After the court session, Yazbek refrained from commenting on the case while it remains before the court, stating, “Respectfully, no comment.” He was arrested during the rally on October 6, where images of him holding a sign that mirrored the Israeli flag—replacing the Star of David with a swastika—emerged, accompanied by the words “Stop Nazi Israel.”

He was charged with displaying a Nazi symbol “without excuse” and was subsequently granted bail. Notably, New South Wales prohibited the public display of Nazi symbols in 2022.

Alongside his wife and business partner, Rebecca, Yazbek opened the Surry Hills Nomad restaurant in 2013, later expanding to three other venues in Melbourne and Sydney. In a statement on social media, Rebecca Yazbek announced that her husband is no longer part of the group’s management. She expressed deep regret over the consequences of his actions on the community and offered a heartfelt apology.

“As both his wife and business partner, I was furious with his actions and heartbroken by the harm they caused,” she wrote.

In response to the charges, Yazbek issued an “unreserved” apology, acknowledging the offense of his actions at the rally. “I apologize unequivocally for my actions at the demonstration on Sunday where I carried a sign that is deeply offensive to the Jewish community,” he stated. He emphasized his commitment to regaining the trust of his staff, loyal customers, and the larger community, reinforcing that both his Jewish and non-Jewish friends are aware he is not antisemitic.

Yazbek expressed his trauma over the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East and reiterated his call for an end to the violence. “We must make it stop. Again, I apologize unreservedly.”