Stuart Seldowitz: Gotham Government relations cuts ties after Islamophobic and anti-Palestinian rant goes viral

Obama administration official Stuart Seldowitz verbally attacks halal cart vendor in New York, sparking widespread criticism online and leading to his firing.

Stuart Seldowitz, a former senior national security official in the Obama administration, has been caught on video making Islamophobic and anti-Palestinian remarks to a halal cart vendor in New York. The disturbing footage shows Seldowitz, 64, threatening the vendor with deportation and his family with torture by the Egyptian intelligence agency, Mukhabarat.

The videos first appeared online on X, formerly known as Twitter, and quickly went viral. In the videos, Seldowitz can be heard relentlessly berating the vendor, calling him a "terrorist," and making offensive comments about the Israel-Hamas conflict. These remarks come at a time when there has been an increase in Islamophobia and anti-Semitism in the United States due to the ongoing conflict.

In one video, Seldowitz threatens the vendor with deportation and the torture of his family by the Mukhabarat, while also making derogatory comments about the vendor's English language skills. He goes on to make offensive remarks about Prophet Mohammad and the Quran, using deeply offensive language.

In a second video, Seldowitz returns to the cart and continues his Islamophobic tirade, holding up a button with Israel on it and making further derogatory remarks about the vendor's beliefs. These videos have sparked widespread outrage online, with many condemning Seldowitz's behavior.

In response to the videos, Gotham Government Relations, a D.C.-based lobbying firm where Seldowitz served as a foreign affairs chair, has cut ties with the lobbyist, calling his behavior "vile and racist." The firm has stated that Seldowitz has not contributed to their work in years and that his actions are "beneath the dignity of the standards we practice at our firm."

Seldowitz has had a distinguished thirty-year career with the United States Department of State and New York State, serving as a diplomat and director of the National Security Council under President Obama. He has also worked as a consultant for a company called GDC Inc., founded by "Israeli-American" entrepreneur Moti Kahana.

The Islamophobic video has sparked widespread condemnation from social media users, who have criticized Seldowitz for his disgraceful conduct. In a recent interview, Seldowitz made controversial remarks about the Israel-Hamas conflict, describing the Israel Defense Force as a "moral army" and downplaying reports of civilian casualties in Palestine.

As Israel continues its attacks on Palestine, the death toll has surpassed 11,000, with health officials in Gaza reporting that they have lost the ability to count the dead. These videos have shone a light on the pervasive issue of Islamophobia and anti-Palestinian sentiment in the United States and have sparked an important conversation about the need to address and combat these harmful attitudes.

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