A restaurant owner has been blasted after describing Jews as a ‘death cult’ and sharing a photo of an Israel soldier depicted as a blood-soaked pig on social media.
Nick Stone, who runs upmarket Bistro St Jacques restaurant at Redfern, in Sydney’s inner west, sparked outrage after posting the images on his Instagram page on October 7, the anniversary of the Hamas slaughter in Israel.
Mr Stone posted a picture of a pig, dripping with blood, dressed in the uniform of the Israeli Defence Forces next to a Star of David, The Australian reported.
‘In memory of today October 7 the day we all re learned about Jews moving to Isreal (sic) and the absolute death cult they have shown us all they are,’ the caption reads.
It ends with: “Glory to the resistance.”
Another post, addressed to the Australian Jewish Association and showing a distressed child in Gaza, reads: ‘Here’s to your October 7th … May your children endure the same hardship.’
Daily Mail Australia contacted Mr Stone for comment, asking whether he regretted his posts and would now apologise to the Jewish community.
According to his business website, he runs a ‘neighbourhood French bistro’ with ‘warm hospitality’ that ‘brings our locals back time and time again’ with the venue currently rated 4.4 stars on Google.
A restaurant owner has been blasted after describing Jews as a ‘death cult’ and sharing a photo of an Israel soldier depicted as a blood-soaked pig on social media
Nick Stone, who runs upmarket Bistro St Jacques restaurant at Redfern, in Sydney ‘s inner west, sparked outrage after posting the images on his Instagram page on October 7, the anniversary of the Hamas slaughter in Israel
But the warmth wasn’t being extended back to him in backlash on the Bistro St Jacques’ Facebook page on Tuesday.
In response to a post from three days ago asking, ‘what’s better than sitting outside with a glass of fine Pinot, soaking in the views, and sharing a chat with Nick, the owner of Bistro St Jacques?’, several people called out his comments last week.
‘No thanks, not with an owner who is so anti-Semitic and full of hatred, which is incorporated in the food he cooks,’ one commenter said.
Another wrote: ‘Shameful comments by the anti-Semitic, terrorist supporting owner.’
‘Just wondering how much for a side of anti-Semitism?’ another said.
Comments on the Facebook post were taken down by mid-morning.
Mr Stone told The Australian he had ‘no comment to make on what was a personal Instagram post’ about the IDF on October 7.
‘My comment there was about the actions of the IDF – actions which have been condemned by many reputable international bodies,’ he said.
‘It was not about Jewish people who are welcome in my restaurant as are people of all other faiths and no faith.’
A post declaring support for a ‘free Palestine’ on Mr Stone’s Instagram account
Australian Jewish Association chief Robert Gregory condemned Mr Stone’s posts, saying that some of the imagery and words were ‘straight Nazi-style hate’.
‘There is nothing to be proud about October 7, the largest massacre of Jews since the Holocaust which involved rape of women and murder of children,’ he said.
‘Such ugly anti-Semitism has no place in Australia and certainly not in Redfern, which is seen as a tolerant neighbourhood.
‘Jews and anybody who is against racism will likely want to avoid this restaurant.’
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Read more at DailyMail.co.uk