New York City’s omnipresent halal and other street vendors expressed near universal support for Hamas with many telling The Post the terror group’s Oct. 7 attack in Israel which killed roughly 1,400 people was justified.
“I am Muslim. I am Egyptian. We support Gaza,” declared a Columbus Circle vendor who would only provide his first name, Ahmed.
“Hamas no attacks Israel. Hamas defends herself. Hamas is self-defense, to protect Islam,” he continued.
“Leave our land. No place to Jewish. Israel must leave.”
When asked if Hamas’ attacks in Israel were a “good thing” — Ahmed responded yes.
“I support Palestine and Hamas army is Palestine and she defend her land. Our land.”
Times Square vendor Mahmahoud El-Ser, 25, said: “I am so so sorry for Gaza and the people of Gaza. Inshallah one day Gaza is free.”
Simply put, “Israel is bad,” another Egyptian vendor, who refused to give his name, declared from his Midtown East kiosk.
Many of the more than two dozen vendors The Post spoke with in Columbus Circle, Bryant Park, Times Square, and Midtown East met questions about the conflict with angry scowls and refused to speak publicly.
About 57% of American Muslims said they believed Hamas “was justified in attacking Israel as part of their struggle for a Palestinian state,” according to a survey from Cygnal last week.
One vendor told The Post he wouldn’t speak because “The Post writes all that Jew stuff.”
In Columbus Circle, Egypt native Mohamad Youssef, 45, said Israel brought the violence on itself.
“Palestinians are defending themselves. Defending their territory, their land. Israelis are attacking them,” he said, calling Israel “not a real state.”
Many of the more than two dozen vendors The Post spoke with in Columbus Circle, Bryant Park, Times Square, and Midtown East met questions about the conflict with angry scowls and refused to speak publicly.
“If I come into your apartment, how you feel? What’re you going to do?” echoed Hamden Elnashar, 49, from his Midtown East stand.
“You’re going to do whatever you have to do . . . to protect yourself.”
Youssef compared Hamas terrorists to the Japanese Kamikaze pilots of World War II.
“In their land, and in their home, they are heroes,” he said.
Many vendors The Post spoke to falsely insisted that Israel was responsible for bombing a hospital in Gaza — repeating propaganda from Hamas, The New York Times, and other publications.
The Times later admitted that they “relied too heavily on claims by Hamas” for their initial reporting, which has since been discredited.
The majority of the vendors interviewed by The Post believe that Israel bombed a hospital in Gaza, but don’t believe that Hamas beheaded infants.
Several also dismissed reports that Hamas beheaded babies during their attack on Israel — a fact that has since been repeatedly confirmed.
The anti-Israel comments came as the city has been beset by waves of rallies on behalf of Hamas terrorists and calling for the destruction of Israel.
“It is sickening, but not surprising, to learn that Hamas sympathizers and supporters of the most brutal terror regime live amongst us,” said GOP City Councilwoman Inna Vernikov (R-Brooklyn).
“Whether you run a falafel stand, or are brainwashed at Harvard University, if you can’t condemn Hamas, you have no business living in our freedom-loving country. And if you’re a non-citizen terrorist supporter, you should really be deported, preferably to Gaza.”
