US News

Tony Avella attends fundraiser hosted by Hamas sympathizer

Former City Council member Tony Avella attended a fundraiser hosted by a supporter whose personal Facebook page featured Hamas’ terrorist attack in Israel and posted fawning images of Adolf Hitler.

The social media of Chaudhry Anwar, 63, a community advocate for South Asian New Yorkers, showed videos from TikTok of Palestinian terrorists in hang gliders with emojis of the Palestinian flag and a flexing bicep.

“Long Live Islam. Long Live Jihad,” said one post Oct. 9. An Oct. 19 post featured a 1935 speech from Hitler, complete with a photo of the Führer alongside hearts and a Palestinian flag. The posts were later modified or deleted.

“God is the greatest. Palestinian mujahideen inside Israel,” said one Hamas massacre in Israel. The post remains up.

Chaudhry Anwar’s Facebook page featured posts praising Adolf Hitler. Facebook Anwar Ali
Chaudhry Anwar’s Facebook page featured posts praising Adolf Hitler also featured video of Hamas fighters storming into Israel. Facebook Anwar Ali

Avella is seeking to unseat GOP Councilwoman Vickie Paladino, who is running for reelection to her northeastern Queens district which includes Whitestone, College Point, Bayside, Little Neck and Douglaston.

Anwar hosted a fundraiser for Avella on Oct. 20 at a private home in Douglaston, Queens, according to an event invitation seen by The Post. The pair have known each other a long time, with photos of the two going back years.

“RSVP to Mr. Anwar,” read the text invite, which included Anwar’s cell phone number.

Tony Avella has been friends with Anwar for years. Linkedin chaudhry-i-anwar
Tony Avella is running against Vickie Paladino for city council in Queens. John Roca

When asked about the posts, Anwar said: “Somebody . . . hacked my Facebook and my email” and that he condemned the postings.

“I’ve known Anwar for many years, and he has never professed any antisemitic views. Anwar insists that his Facebook page was hacked and he did not make any of these terrible posts,” Avella told The Post

Bayside Rabbi Yossi Blesofsky said the matter was troubling.

“The fact that Avella is [having] a fundraiser [hosted by] this guy, to represent my community with a nice number of Jewish people and Holocaust survivors, it’s beyond. It’s very, very frightening. It’s extremely troubling and frightening,” he said.

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