A Manhattan-based lobbying firm cut ties with its affiliate, a former White House security adviser, after a viral video showed him berating a halal cart vendor in New York City, making multiple Islamophobic comments.
Stuart Seldowitz, who served under President Barack Obama as his National Security Council chief, was caught on camera by the man operating the halal cart calling the Upper East Side vendor a “terrorist.”
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Gotham Government Relations said in a statement Tuesday the firm had “ended all affiliation” with Seldowitz. “The video of his actions is vile, racist and beneath the dignity of the standards we practice at our firm,” the statement reads.
“By the way, I’ll represent the food vendor pro bono if he wants to bring a lawsuit against Stuart Seldowitz,” David Schwartz, the founder and president of Gotham Government Relations, told City & State New York. “I’m absolutely outraged by this video.”
Northwestern Mutual, which Seldowitz’s LinkedIn showed he worked at as a financial representative, denied that he was contracted by or affiliated with the firm.
Videos on X, formerly known as Twitter, show Seldowitz harassing the vendor on two separate occasions. Seldowitz accuses the vendor of supporting terrorism and Hamas.
"If we killed 4,000 Palestinian kids, it wasn't enough..."
— Lowkey (@Lowkey0nline) November 21, 2023
In a separate incident, US State Department veteran Stuart Seldowitz continues his racist harassment of a street vendor in New York.pic.twitter.com/GP49aoxFzg
“But you’re a terrorist. You support terrorism,” Seldowitz continues. “You're killing little children.”
“You kill children, not me,” the vendor replies.
“If we killed 4,000 Palestinian kids, you know what? It wasn’t enough,” Seldowitz said.
In another video posted to X, the vendor can be heard asking Seldowitz to “please go” and telling him he would call the police.
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This man wearing a green jacket was berating and harassing a halal cart vendor off 83rd and 2nd Ave in NYC. Does anyone know who this man is? Planning to report to the authorities. pic.twitter.com/GwklyXpsPH
— Layla ???? (@itslaylas) November 21, 2023
Seldowitz also was acting director for the National Security Council South Asia Directorate and served in the U.S. State Department’s Office of Israel and Palestinian Affairs, according to the New York Times. A press release from November 2022 states he was foreign affairs chairman for Gotham Government Relations.
The Hamas attack on Oct. 7 resulted in the deaths of more than 1,200 people in Israel, and roughly 240 people were taken hostage, according to Israeli officials. More than 11,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to health authorities in Gaza. A temporary ceasefire agreement was reached this week, in which Israel and Hamas agreed to the four-day pause to allow for the release of those held in Gaza by Hamas and Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.