CHICAGO — Two men accused of furnishing money and fresh recruits to the militant Palestinian Arab group Hamas were acquitted yesterday of racketeering but convicted on lesser charges.

The two men beamed broadly at the split verdict and defense attorneys immediately declared victory in the three-month trial that the government had described as a major component in its war on terrorism.

“We are not terrorists,” former grocer Muhammad Salah told reporters as he left the courthouse with his 8-year-old son, Ibrahim, on his shoulders. “I feel good,” he said as he was hugged by relatives and well-wishers. “I thank God, and I hope justice will prevail.”

“This is a great day for justice,” said Salah’s attorney, Michael Deutsch.

Salah, 53, and Abdelhaleem Ashqar, 48, a one-time assistant business professor at Howard University in Washington, had been accused of laundering money for Hamas terrorists fighting to topple the Israeli government.

Defense attorneys said they hoped to have the convictions reversed on appeal but added that, at worst, the men would likely serve comparatively short sentences.