In New York’s ‘Little Palestine’, fans cheer for Spain in World Cup final
Tournament has showcased unity and solidarity in Brooklyn’s seizable Arab American community, football fans say. New York, United States – Zein Rimawi says he’s not
Tournament has showcased unity and solidarity in Brooklyn’s seizable Arab American community, football fans say. New York, United States – Zein Rimawi says he’s not much of a football fan, but when asked for his pick for the FIFA World Cup final, Rimawi blurted: “Spain.” “You don’t need to finish the question,” the 72-year-old told Al Jazeera. Sitting in his office in the Bay Ridge neighbourhood of New York with a Palestinian flag behind him, Rimawi said football cannot be separated from politics. “I support countries that support our causes, especially the Palestinian cause,” added Rimawi, who serves as the chair of the Arab American Federation nonprofit. His support for Spain, who will face off against Argentina for football’s most prized trophy on Sunday, echoes the sentiments of many among the large Arab American community. Here, Palestinian emblems – graffiti, keffiyeh patterns, tatreez embroidery and watermelons – appear nearly everywhere. The neighbourhood is nicknamed Little Palestine, but in reality, it is a melting pot of Arab-American and other immigrant communities from across the world. With the final taking place in neighbouring New Jersey, World Cup fever is raging in Bay Ridge. Palestinian restaurants, Yemeni cafes, Lebanese grocery stores and corner shops all have the flags of the participating teams displayed. While the tournament has been a festival of football, Rimawi called it a “political summit”. So Spain, which recognised the State of Palestine in 2024 and has been a vocal critic of Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza, is a natural choice for Arab fans, he argued. “I didn’t know who Hossam Hassan was,” he said, referring to Egypt’s head coach.
“But when he raised the Palestinian flag, I instantly became a fan.” ‘We’re for Spain with all our hearts’ Across 5th Avenue at Al Reef Bakery, Talal Abdraboh had a similar take. He said Spain’s support for Palestinians and the Arabs’ presence in Andalusia for centuries make the team endearing to fans in the community. “It’s not about bias against Argentina. If any team that’s not Arab were facing Spain, we would support Spain,” he said. “We’re for Spain with all our hearts.” The bakery has a large mural of the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem and another featuring a Palestinian woman baking with the words of Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish, “I long for the bread of my mother.” “The Arab community was immersed in this World Cup, especially when Arab teams were playing,” Abdraboh told Al Jazeera as he cut a loaf of bread into vertical strips. “All the Arab fans were raising the Palestinian flag. So, when any Arab team was playing, we were cheering for them as Palestinians.” A record eight Arab teams participated in the 2026 tournament, with Morocco going the farthest before losing to France in the quarterfinals. Egypt made it to the round of 16, but they crashed out after squandering a two-goal lead against Argentina amid a series of controversial refereeing decisions that included ruling out an Egyptian goal for a soft foul in the build-up after a VAR review. Arab unity For many Arab New Yorkers, the tournament showcased the community’s unity. Mahmoud Kasem, the owner of Al-Aqsa Bakery, installed a large TV screen outside his restaurant and gave out free falafel for major Arab teams’ matches, attracting people from across Bay Ridge.
The BriefWire