Restaurateur Nomad Al Yazbek’s wife kicked him out of his company after he was arrested over a Nazi swastika symbol on an Israeli flag at a pro-Palestine rally.
Interior architect Rebecca Yazbek confirmed her husband and business partner is no longer part of her hospitality group after angry community backlash.
But the radical move comes as other chefs and restaurant bosses continue to speak out about the war in Gaza and Lebanon, a year after Hamas’ attack on Israel.
“Two weeks ago, our co-director, Al Yazbek, behaved in a way that offended many people,” he confirmed in a company statement to the Daily Telegraph.
‘We deeply regret the impact his actions have had on the community and for that we sincerely apologize.
‘As his wife and business partner, I was furious at his actions and heartbroken at the damage they caused.
“I completely understand the disappointment and frustration felt by those affected and I am committed to doing everything possible to restore their confidence.”
The couple built their high-class restaurant group over the last decade with restaurants Nomad Sydney and Nomad Melbourne, as well as Reine & La Rue.
Alan Yazbek (wearing a black cap and holding a sign) appears at Sunday’s protest in Sydney. Daily Mail Australia does not suggest wrongdoing by others in the photograph
Pablo Vargas is co-owner of the Milpa Collective hotel group and several Mexican restaurants in Sydney.
‘Pasta Prince’ Mitchell Orr has been frank online about his view of the Middle East conflict.
His departure follows more hospitality figures making His anti-Israel political views became known after sharing hateful posts on social media.
Daily Mail Australia can reveal that two-time MasterChef star Mitchell Orr and restaurateur Pablo Vargas are behind anti-Israel propaganda shared on Instagram.
‘Pasta Prince’ Mitchell Orr, who runs the Kiln restaurant at the Ace Hotel in Surry Hills, eastern Sydney, has been vocal about his inflammatory anti-Israel content on social media.
“The leading cause of child death on Earth is Israel,” said one of Orr’s posts.
“Genocidal facts do not lie: Israel failed humanity.”
Orr, known for his pasta expertise, started working in a pub and has since trained in some of Sydney’s most notable kitchens.
Fellow hospitality figurehead Pablo Vargas uploaded a post to his private Instagram with an image with the phrase ‘Every day is fucking Israel day.’
He is co-founder of Milpa Collective, a restaurant group behind several Mexican restaurants in Sydney, including Santa Catarina in the CBD, Bar Lucia in Potts Point and Taquiza and Carbon in Bondi.
Pablo Vargas and Mitchell Orr posted the incendiary images on their social media accounts
“The (Instagram) story shared from a private account does not represent the views of Milpa Collective or any of our restaurants,” business partner Liber Osorio told Daily Mail Australia.
‘The Milpa Collective is deeply committed to inclusion, advocating for the rights and dignity of all people and firmly opposes any form of discrimination or injustice.’
Last week, Yazbek “unequivocally apologized” and admitted that the poster was “deeply offensive to the Jewish community.”