A Brooklyn resident, donning a Palestinian scarf, found himself in an altercation this week, captured on video, in the Upper East Side. He attempted to tear down posters featuring Israeli hostages being put up by locals.
Who is Mohamed Khalil?
Mohamed Khalil, aged 21, was charged with harassment, disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, and obstruction following the incident at 68th Street and Lexington Avenue around 5:30 p.m. In the footage, Khalil can be seen attempting to push past individuals who were affixing the leaflets to a utility pole.
During the altercation, a man questions Khalil, “Why are you taking it down?” Khalil responds aggressively, and a confrontation ensues. Bystanders step in to prevent him from removing the posters, and the police arrive shortly thereafter.
Also Read: Who is Ariel Bibas? Toronto woman films herself tearing down poster of kidnapped Israeli toddler
Khalil was taken into custody after a brief scuffle with the police. The incident is now under investigation by the Hate Crimes Task Force as a potential bias-related incident.
This incident is one of many recent confrontations between individuals supporting the Palestinian and Israeli causes, with tensions escalating following the surprise attack by radical Hamas militants on Israel on October 7 and the subsequent response by the Israeli government in the Gaza Strip.
Some supporters of Israel have been displaying posters of the more than 200 Israelis who were kidnapped by Hamas on October 7, a significant number of whom were civilians, as a demonstration of solidarity.
In a separate incident, construction workers in New York confronted an individual who was tearing down posters of Israeli hostages in Queens. The workers expressed their displeasure with the act and emphasized the importance of reacting to such actions as the norm, rather than an exception.
