Their views are hard to swallow.
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. F–k terrorism of Israel. 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.
Follow along with The Post’s live blog for the latest on Hamas’ attack on Israel
One vendor told The Post he wouldn’t speak because “The Post writes all that Jew stuff.”
Follow along with The Post’s live blog for the latest on Hamas’ attack on Israel
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.”
“You can’t give weapons to one side and ask the other side not to respond.”
“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.”
2005: Israel unilaterally withdraws from the Gaza Strip over three decades after winning the territory from Egypt in the Six-Day War.
2006: Terrorist group Hamas wins a Palestinian legislative election.