Ex-Obama advisor Stuart Seldowitz apologizes for disturbing food truck video ‘accusing vendor of being a terrorist’
A FORMER state department official has apologized after he called a food vendor a terrorist in a sick tirade that was caught on camera.
Stuart Seldowitz, 64, admitted that he was the man seen telling a street vendor in New York City that he and his family would be tortured “when they deport you back to Egypt.”
Another video showed Seldowitz, who worked in the U.S. State Department’s Office of Israel and Palestinian Affairs, accusing the vendor of supporting Hamas.
The videos went viral on X, formerly known as Twitter, as users tried to identify the man.
Hours after they were posted, Seldowitz confirmed to The Daily Beast that it was him.
“The bottom line is, yes, it’s me,” he told the outlet.
He said that the footage only showed one side of the story and that he was questioning the worker about his stance on Hamas amid the terror group’s ongoing war with Israel.
Seldowitz said he regrets the whole incident and apologized while speaking to City & State.
He claimed that he only wanted to have a discussion about current events when the conversation spiraled out of control.
“I regret the whole thing happened and I’m sorry,” he said.
“But you know, in the heat of the moment, I said things that probably I shouldn’t have said.”
He added that if he could go back, he wouldn’t have brought up religion in his rant, saying that he wasn’t bigoted against Muslims.
“I don’t think I’m an Islamophobic guy. I’ve spoken up for equal treatment of Muslims on numerous occasions with numerous different people.”
‘VILE’ WORDS
Seldowitz served as an advisor to President Barack Obama and acted as a diplomat for the US State Department throughout five different presidencies.
“To be honest, most of my family was against my joining the State Department, feeling that it was an elitist institution that would not be welcoming to a Jewish guy from Brooklyn,” he told The Foreign Service Journal in 2010.
Gotham Government Relations, a lobbying firm based in New York and Washington, DC, severed ties with Seldowitz after his rant was brought to their attention.
He was referred to as the firm’s foreign relations chair in a press release last year.
The organization released a statement on Tuesday saying that they ended all affiliation with Seldowitz, and that he had not contributed any work to the company in recent years.
“The video of his actions is vile, racist, and beneath the dignity of the standards we practice at our firm,” the statement read.
David Schwartz, the founder and president of Gotham Government Relations, told City & State that Seldowitz was never an employee at the firm but rather an affiliate.
“By the way, I’ll represent the food vendor pro bono if he wants to bring a lawsuit against Stuart Seldowitz,” Schwartz said.
“I’m absolutely outraged by this video.”
DISTURBING CLIPS
In the series of videos posted on November 21, 2023, Seldowitz is seen insulting the man working at a halal cart.
Seldowitz called him ignorant for not speaking English and made several comments about killing children.
He told the vendor: “You support killing little children,” and, “If we killed 4,000 Palestinian kids, you know what? It wasn’t enough.”
Other insults and racist questions included: “Did you rape your daughter like Muhammad did?” and “What do you think of that – people who use the Koran as a toilet?”
The woman who posted the video wrote: “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.”
She shared another video showing Seldowitz in a different outfit and a food truck vendor could be heard saying: “Go. Why is he here?”
The worker then says: “Listen, I’m working now. Can you leave please?” but Seldowitz continues to hurl remarks at him.
“You’re a terrorist. You support terrorism,” Seldowitz said.
Seldowitz admitted to getting into several arguments with the same vendor but denied claims that he got into spats with other food truck workers around the city.
In response to the Islamophobic tirade, councilmember Julie Menin, who represents the Upper East Side district where the rants took place, said that she’s contacted the New York City Police Department about the incident.
“This is vile hate speech and harassment and truly abhorrent,” Menin wrote.
“I have contacted the @NYPD19Pct and they are reviewing these videos. There is no place for hate in our community and city.”