Hash Tayeh

Palestine activism Tayeh came to prominence following the start of the Gaza war for his outspoken support of Palestine, being a regular attendee and an organiser of pro-Palestine rallies in Melbourne.

On 10 November 2023, Tayeh's Burgertory restaurant in the Melbourne suburb of Caulfield was burnt down. Police stated that they did not believe that it was motivated by hate or prejudice. The following night, a rally took place that saw clashes between Israel and Palestine supporters. Tayeh said staff had previously been threatened and told they “worked for a terrorist”. Tayeh attracted criticism online for attending pro-Palestine rallies in the Melbourne CBD amid the ongoing war. Two men were later charged for the arson attack, telling the court that they took orders from “somebody above”. On 8 July 2024, it was revealed that the attackers were paid $20,000 to torch the Burgertory restaurant.

On 13 November 2023, Tayeh moved his wife and young child into a safe house after receiving anonymous death threats on social media. In April 2024, a firebomb was thrown at Tayeh's house while he and his family were sleeping, with Tayeh labelling it either as terrorism or a hate crime.

In May 2024, Tayeh repeatedly chanted "all Zionists are terrorists" at a pro-Palestine rally in Melbourne. Tayeh was notified by police in July 2024 that he would be arrested and interviewed after being accused of inciting hatred of Jewish people. Tayeh handed himself in to police for questioning, but was not charged. At the same time, a rally, organised by Jews Against Fascism, took place outside of Fawkner Police Station and the Coburg North Burgertory restaurant, in support of Tayeh. In March 2025, police charged Tayeh with four counts of “using insulting words in public” for his chants at the May rally.

Lawyer Menachem Vorchheimer brought a case against Tayeh in the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) for chanting "all Zionists are terrorists" at a rally in March 2025. In February 2026, Tayeh was found to have breach the state's Racial and Religious Tolerance Act for the chants. He intends to appeal the ruling.