A man accused of threatening a Jewish community member grieving friends killed in the Bondi shooting has been barred from Bondi Beach.
19-year-old Nazih Chahine allegedly made antisemitic threats and mimed a gun with his hand toward a female passenger on a flight from Bali.
Chahine was arrested by the federal police when the flight touched down at Sydney International Airport. He was charged with threatening force or violence against group members.
He appeared in bail court on Thursday, where the court heard Chahine had no prior history of extremist beliefs.
According to reports, the conflict erupted when the female passenger threatened to film Chahine vaping on the flight.
“What’s clearly occurring is that there’s a 19-year-old man who’s refusing to accept that he can’t vape on a plane,” defence barrister Ertunc Ozen said.
“It might show a cavalier attitude towards the regulations that pertain to being on a flight, but it doesn’t evince any terrorist intent or extremist ideology.”
Chahine denies making any gun gesture or direct threat toward the complainant.
“The complainant made it clear not just that she is a person of Jewish faith, but that she has had friends who were victims of the atrocity committed four days ago,” Ozen said.
He said the incident occurred amid heightened emotions, but his client posed no threat to the Jewish community.
Chahine was granted bail with strict conditions, including bans on entering Bondi or Bondi Beach and approaching within 100 metres of any Jewish school, cultural centre, or place of worship.
The court denied a request to suppress Chahine’s identity, with the case returning for mention on December 23.