New York City Mayor Eric Adams has called out celebrities and professional athletes for engaging in hateful rhetoric against Jews in the aftermath of Hamas’ attack on Israel. The mayor’s statement comes in response to a New York City public school teacher, Mohammad Jehad Ahmad, expressing support for the Hamas terrorist organization and its assault on Israeli civilians.
Ahmad, who teaches at Gotham Tech High School according to his LinkedIn profile, changed his Facebook cover photo to an image of a person paragliding with a Palestinian flag attached to the parachute, accompanied by the phrase “I stand with Palestine.” This image was widely shared by a Black Lives Matter chapter following Hamas’ surprise attack, which involved terrorists descending onto Israeli communities with parachutes and gliders, resulting in the death of hundreds of people and the kidnapping of civilians.
The teacher’s public support for Hamas drew criticism, with many questioning how Jewish students could feel safe in his classroom. One social worker, Justin Spiro, shared a screenshot of Ahmad’s Facebook cover photo on X (formerly Twitter), stating, “I am shaking. NYC public school teacher Mohammad Jehad Ahmad (@MoMisteries) made this his Facebook cover photo, celebrating Hamas terrorists paragliding into an Israeli music festival and butchering 260 teens and young adults.”
In response to the backlash, Ahmad defended the Hamas terror attacks on social media, condemning Israel and accusing the country of being a settler colony that exists through terrorism, dispossession, ethnic cleansing, and ongoing incremental genocide. Despite evidence to the contrary, Ahmad claimed that the Palestinian population has significantly decreased since Israel took control of the West Bank and Gaza Strip in 1967.
The controversy surrounding Ahmad’s support for Hamas arose after the New York Post reported on the city’s Department of Education sending teachers a list of websites with information for class discussions on the Israel-Hamas conflict. While some critics accused the department of distributing links with “anti-Israel bias,” Ahmad took the opposite stance, referring to it as “Zionist propaganda” and expressing support for a free Palestine “from the river to the sea.” This chant, which has also been used by pro-Palestine demonstrators, alludes to the elimination of Israel and the establishment of a Palestinian state encompassing the entire area.
Justin Spiro confronted Ahmad, asking whether he supported or condemned the terrorist attacks carried out by Hamas. Ahmad reiterated his support for the attacks and referred to them as a “successful military campaign.”
As controversy continues to surround Ahmad’s statements, there has been no immediate response from Gotham Tech High School, the New York City Department of Education, or the mayor’s office. Chancellor David Banks previously addressed the atrocities committed by Hamas, condemning the acts of violence and expressing support for affected staff and families.
It is essential to note that this article is solely focused on the subject matter and does not include any mentions of Fox News, author information, disclaimers, or translations.
