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Burgertory founder’s chant about Zionists at pro-Palestine rally incited hatred against Jews, tribunal rules
#Hash Tayeh#Zionists#Racial vilification#Pro-Palestine rally#Victorian tribunal#Racial and Religious Tolerance Act#Antisemitism#Melbourne
📌 Key Takeaways
Hash Tayeh found to have breached Victoria's Racial and Religious Tolerance Act with his chant 'All Zionists are terrorists'
Tribunal ruled the chant incited hatred against Jewish people despite Tayeh's claims about the term's meaning
Vorchheimer described feeling dehumanized and unsafe after hearing the chant
Tayeh has flagged an appeal to the tribunal's ruling
Vorchheimer requested remedies including public acknowledgment and $20,000 payment to charity
📖 Full Retelling
Hash Tayeh, founder of burger chain Burgertory, was found by the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal to have racially and religiously vilified Jewish people when he chanted 'All Zionists are terrorists' at a pro-Palestine rally in Melbourne in March 2025, with the tribunal ruling that the statement incited hatred against Jews despite Tayeh's claim that the term referred only to supporters of the Israeli regime. The case was brought by Menachem Vorchheimer, who described feeling 'dehumanized' and 'gut-wrenching' after hearing the chant, testifying that he felt unsafe in Melbourne's CBD and avoided public gatherings due to fear of being attacked or vilified. Vorchheimer argued that 'Zionists' was being used as a codeword for Jewish people at the rally, while Tayeh maintained that protesters had clearly distinguished between Zionists and Jews, insisting the term referred specifically to supporters of Israel's current regime and its military actions after October 7, 2023. Tribunal Judge My Anh Tran acknowledged that 'Zionist' does not inherently mean 'Jew' and can have multiple meanings, but found there was likely a very strong association between Zionists and Jewish people in the minds of ordinary rally participants, an association strengthened by the use of the word 'all' and the presence of antisemitic tropes at the rally. Tran determined that the accusation of being 'terrorist' was inherently likely to incite strong emotions such as hatred, particularly when chanted by thousands of people at a rally, and concluded that Tayeh's purpose extended beyond protesting Israeli actions to opposing all supporters of Israel as a Jewish state.
🏷️ Themes
Free Speech vs. Hate Speech, Religious Vilification, Political Protest
Hate speech laws in Australia give redress to someone who is the victim of discrimination, vilification or injury on grounds that differ from one jurisdiction to another. Since the 20th century, all Australian states and territories had introduced legislation to give redress when a person is victimi...
Hasheam Tayeh (born 1990), commonly referred to as Hash Tayeh, is an Australian businessman and pro-Palestine activist from Melbourne. Tayeh is the founder and former chief executive officer of burger restaurant chain Burgertory.
Ethnocultural movement supporting a Jewish state in Palestine
Zionism is an ethnocultural nationalist movement that emerged in late 19th-century Europe to establish and support a Jewish homeland through colonization in the region of Palestine, which roughly corresponds to the Land of Israel in Judaism—itself central to Jewish history. Zionists wanted to create...
Burgertory founder’s chant about Zionists at pro-Palestine rally incited hatred against Jews, tribunal rules Hash Tayeh flags appeal to Victorian civil and administrative tribunal finding over phrase used at Melbourne rally last year Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updates Get our breaking news email , free app or daily news podcast A prominent pro-Palestine protester racially and religiously vilified Jewish people when he chanted “All Zionists are terrorists” at a Melbourne rally, a Victorian tribunal has ruled. Hash Tayeh, who has flagged an appeal to Thursday’s ruling, was found to have breached the state’s Racial and Religious Tolerance Act with his comments in March last year. Menachem Vorchheimer brought the case in the Victorian civil and administrative tribunal . “The notion of being labelled the derogatory term of ‘terrorist’ for something I have no responsibility for, and for that to be seen as normal, is gut-wrenching and soul-destroying to me,” Vorchheimer said as part of his application. “I felt dehumanised. I felt like the lowest of the low. I no longer feel safe going into the Melbourne CBD given I am identifiably Jewish. “I also generally avoid public gatherings where there a chance of counter protests for fear of being attacked or vilified.” The Melbourne man submitted that “Zionists” was used at the rally as a codeword for Jewish people. But Tayeh, the founder of burger chain Burgertory, submitted there was no evidence that this was the case, and that protesters had made clear the distinction between Zionists and Jews. He said that “Zionists” was used and understood by ordinary rally participants to refer only to supporters of the current regime in Israel and the actions of the Israel Defense Forces after 7 October 2023. Sign up: AU Breaking News email Judge My Anh Tran agreed that “Zionist” did not mean Jew, and found that it was capable of a range of meanings. But Tran found there was likely to have been a very strong association b...
