New York Man Goes Viral for Defending Israeli Hostage Posters from Vandalism

Multiple videos reveal non-Jewish New Yorker, dubbed 'Paulie', gaining internet fame for his impassioned defense of posters depicting Israeli hostages kidnapped by Hamas, sparking wider discussion on antisemitism.

A New Yorker, known only as 'Paulie', has gone viral for confronting individuals tearing down posters displaying Israeli hostages taken by Hamas, despite admitting he himself is 'not fucking Jewish', bringing attention to a broader discussion on antisemitism.
In videos that have circulated online and gained millions of views, 'Paulie' passionately defends the right for the posters to be displayed, likening the act of removing them to the offense of vandalism and littering.
Despite the intense confrontations featured in the videos, Paulie's identity is yet to be revealed publicly, with some social media users expressing a desire to reward him for his actions by buying him beer or sending him money on Venmo.
The posters, part of a global guerrilla art initiative by two Israeli artists known as Nitzan Mintz and her partner Dede Bandaid, provide names, images and details of over 200 Israelis taken hostage by Hamas in an attack earlier in October - a move seen as polarising and leading to incidents of people tearing the posters down.
The tension has escalated with pro-Palestinian and pro-Hamas activists altering the posters by adding 'occupier' labels to them, implying that those depicted are wanted for some crime as opposed to being victims of one.