Dozens of protesters held a prayer vigil for Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh on a Brooklyn street corner Sunday — days after he was killed in a bombing in Iran.
“In the most recent escalations by the Zionist and US imperialist partners, Ismail Haniyeh, the head of the political bureau of Hamas, was murdered in Tehran,” a young man shrouded in a keffiyeh read from a phone next to a reverent painting of the felled terror leader.
“Haniyeh was the top Palestinian negotiator, and has been for the past two decades. By murdering the person leading the ceasefire negotiations, the enemy has made it clear that its only goal is extending its barbaric rule and ethnic cleansing of Palestine by exterminating Palestinians on their indigenous homeland.”
The demonstration was held in Bay Ridge, home to one of the biggest Arab American populations in the five boroughs.
Another similar gathering in the neighborhood in May saw violent clashes between pro-Hamas demonstrators and NYPD cops, who arrested more than a dozen protesters, some of whom proudly waved the green flag of Hamas in solidarity with the terror group.
Footage of the vigil showed much the crowd with keffiyeh scarves emblazoned with the Palestinian flag draped over their shoulders. About a dozen, however, were dressed in traditional Orthodox Jewish garb
State Sen. Simcha Felder, who represents Borough Park-Inwood, criticized any Jews that showed up.
“They’re meshugana!. They’re crazy,” Felder told The Post.
“They show up at all these anti-Israel events. But showing up for a vigil for a murderer of innocent people?! How do you call yourself a Jew?”
The Democrat described the men’s beliefs as “fringe of a fringe of a fringe.”
While the jewish men at the vigil could not be reached for comment, they were holding a sign for Neturei Karta International (NKI), bills itself on its website as “a group of activists representing many who stand up for true Judaism and promote traditional Judaism in opposition to the philosophy of Zionism.
“They oppose the existence of the State of Israel and condemn the Zionist occupation of Palestine, along with condemning the ongoing atrocities committed against its people.”
Rabbi Joseph Potasnik, executive vice president of the New York Board of Rabbis, described NKI’s ideology as “bizarre,” explaining that one of their core tenets is not believing in the existence of the state of Israel until the messiah arrives.
“It’s sickening what they’re doing. It’s immoral,” Potasnik told The Post, describing them as “an extremist group.”
Reps for NKI could not immediately be reached for comment.
Jewish activist Jeffrey Wiesenfeld, former CUNY trustee who worked for former Gov. Pataki, Sen. Al D’Amato and Mayor Ed Koch likened the grotesque glorification of a slain terrorist leader with “the German Bund in America holding a vigil during World War II for Adolf Hitler.”
“If the government was doing its job properly, anyone advocating for terrorists on the streets of America would have their immigration status examined and they should be deported to send a message,” he added, calling the protesters “local jihadists.”
Haniyeh, who was initially thought to have been killed in an airstrike, died from a remotely detonated bomb inside the guesthouse, seven Middle Eastern officials, including two Iranians and an American official, told the New York Times.
The bomb was hidden inside the guest house approximately two months before Haniyeh’s visit, five of the Middle Eastern officials said.
The terror organization has since named Gaza chief Yahya Sinwar, also known as Abu Omer Hassan, to serve as Haniyeh’s successor until it can hold elections next year.
While Tehran and Hamas have blamed Israel for the assassination, the Jewish state has remained silent on the matter, which is typically the case when it operates on Iranian soil.
