The owner of one of Australia’s most famous convenience stores has doubled down on his support for the Palestinian attack on Israel, despite massive backlash.
At least 700 Israeli civilians were killed and thousands more wounded in the biggest and most well-coordinated attack on the Jewish state in 50 years at the weekend.
As Sydney’s Palestinian community gathered in Lakemba on Sunday night to celebrate the attack on Israel, Redfern Convenience Store owner Hazem Sedda pledged his support for his homeland.
The inner-city business owner is the son of Palestinian immigrants who fled to Sydney for a better life more than two decades ago.
‘Lord, help the Palestinian people to gain their freedom; This is the only way to restore our freedom”, he declared.
‘Enough is enough. The suffering of the Palestinian people from occupation and violence is a painful and complex story spanning many decades. Palestinians live in difficult conditions and ongoing conflicts involving several aspects.
Redfern Convenience Store owner Hazem Sedda caused a divided reaction when he expressed his support for Palestine.
“For more than 75 years, Palestinians have suffered from the Israeli occupation, which began in 1948, leading to the displacement of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians and the loss of their basic rights.
“This suffering includes land confiscation, illegal Israeli settlements, family separations and the plight of Palestinian refugees.
He added that the holy sites in Palestine have witnessed escalating tensions with ongoing violence and fighting.
“In addition to the occupation, Palestinians also face violence and arbitrary arrests by Israeli forces. This includes detaining children and young people without fair trials and locking them up in harsh conditions.’
The post sparked a mixed reaction, prompting Sedda to disable comments on Monday. Some customers vowed to boycott the store, which its owner claims is “The Greatest Convenience Store on Earth.”
‘There goes my business,’ one woman wrote.
Another added: ‘Unfollowing!’
Others posted negative negative reviews online.
“He supports the terrorist organization on his Instagram page,” reads one review.
The backlash prompted the store owner to double down on his comments
Hazem Sedda shared footage of some of the nasty comments after pledging his support for Palestine
Mr. Sedda was unfazed by the backlash and even shared some negative comments to hit back.
“This is the extent of what they can do: giving our business a bad rating. They believe it can affect business. Or stop Palestine from regaining their freedom.
He took a brutal swipe at the haters as he doubled down on his comments.
To the people who think this post will affect our family business, I care deeply for my people who have lost their lives in the hundreds at the hands of Israeli forces for the past 75 years,” he wrote.
“I’m more likely to prioritize my concern for my people over my own business.
End of line.’
The reaction prompted fans to jump to Sedda’s defense and send messages of support and a flood of five-star comments online.
Some customers went so far as to pledge to make a 30km journey to Redfern to show their support.
The store has since become a Redfern icon and has amassed a cult following.
High-profile fans include 2GB Breakfast host Ben Fordham, ABC presenter Annabelle Crabb, US singer Slayyyter and Australian DJ duo Peking Duk.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has condemned Hamas attacks against Israel, describing the conflict as a “very dark 24 hours”.
The Palestinian militant group, which rules the Gaza Strip and has been classified as a terrorist organization by Australia since 2001.
Mr Albanese said no Australians, including ADF personnel, were caught in the strikes in Israel, but admitted it was still too early to get an accurate estimate.
He said the government stood with Israel.
“This is a despicable attack on Israel. This is without distinction. Civilians are being targeted, killed and killed, and also, many of them have been taken hostage,” he told the ABC’s Insiders program on Sunday.
“Of course, people are concerned about escalation, but Israel has the right to defend itself and will do so.
“It’s been a very dark 24 hours.”
The prime minister confirmed he had spoken to Israel’s ambassador to Australia since the attack.
“He was, of course, very shocked, as you would expect, and this action is ongoing, it must be stopped,” said Mr.
Albanese.
“This is a terrible circumstance that people did not see coming.”
Foreign Minister Penny Wong called for a halt to the attacks and said Australia recognized Israel’s right to defend itself.
“Australia unequivocally condemns attacks on Israel by Hamas, including indiscriminate rocket fire on cities and civilians,” Senator Wong said on X, formerly Twitter.
Opposition Leader Peter Dutton said the coalition “totally condemns the unprovoked and despicable attack by Hamas militants on Israel”.
Hazem Sedda is grateful for the support from the store’s cult following following the backlash
“It is another example of a deliberate act of violence aimed at inflicting maximum harm on innocent civilians,” he said.
“The attack is a provocation. Israel has every right to defend itself in response and deter future attacks and other acts of aggression, coercion and interference.”
Former Australian ambassador to Israel and Liberal MP Dave Sharma said the attacks by Hamas were ‘unprecedented’.
“We have never seen anything like this from Hamas before in its aggression against Israel,” he told Sky News on Sunday.
“There will have to be a lot of analysis and reflection on what went wrong there, because obviously this has always been an active military front for Israel.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his country’s military would retaliate.
“We’re in a fight and we’re going to win it,” he said.
Hamas said the attack was prompted by what it said were Israel’s escalating attacks on Palestinians in the West Bank, Jerusalem and against Palestinians in Israeli prisons.
Hamas commander Mohammad Deif said it was “the day of the biggest battle to end the last occupation on earth” as Gazans rushed to buy supplies in anticipation of days of conflict ahead.
(tagsTranslate) daily mail(s) news(s) Sydney(s) Australia(s) Palestine(s) Israel(s) Instagram