A man whose resume lists experience as a foreign policy adviser under President Barack Obama has been exposed as a man in a series of videos uttering Islamophobic slurs.
Gotham Government Relations, a New York-based firm, has terminated “all association” with 64-year-old Stuart Seldowitz over the videos.
In an October interview, BitChute identified him as having worked as a deputy director/senior policy officer in the U.S. State Department’s Office of Israel and Palestinian Affairs from 1999 to 2003.
The original video, which is over two minutes long, shows Seldowitz talking to a halal cart seller, using slurs for Egyptians and then saying that secret service agents in Egypt would “get your parents.”
“Does his father like his fingernails?” “They’ll do them one by one,” Seldowitz added.
Referring to Israel’s response to the Hamas attack that killed 1,200 people, he also says: “If we killed 4,000 Palestinian children? It wasn’t enough.’
A man whose resume lists experience as a foreign policy adviser under President Barack Obama has been exposed as a man in a series of videos uttering Islamophobic slurs
This man in a green jacket insulted and harassed a Halal cart vendor at 83rd and 2nd Ave in NYC. Does anyone know who this man is? I plan to report to the authorities. pic.twitter.com/GwklyXpsPH
– Layla 🪬 (@itslaylas) November 21, 2023
“You support the killing of small children,” says Seldowitz, taking a photo of the seller and asking him to smile.
He asks him: “Did you rape your daughter like Mohammed?”
Seldowitz calls the man a “rapist” and calls him “ignorant” because of his lack of English, after which he goes on a tirade about the Koran.
“What are you saying? They speak Arabic, the language of the Quran, the Holy Quran. “Some people use this as a toilet,” he says.
‘What do you think of it? People who use the Koran as a toilet. Do you mind? Do you mind? Tell me the truth? You do not speak English? That’s too bad.’
“That’s why you’re selling food in a food truck because you’re ignorant, but you should learn English. “It’ll help you when they deport you back to Egypt.”
Gotham Government Relations claimed that Seldowitz had not worked there in years, although Vice cited a press release announcing his hiring at the company as chairman of external affairs in 2022.
His LinkedIn page shows a stint as acting director of the National Security Council’s South Asia Directorate from February 2009 to January 2011 under President Obama.
Gotham Government Relations, a New York-based firm, has terminated “all association” with 64-year-old Stuart Seldowitz over the videos
The original video, which lasts over two minutes, shows Seldowitz talking to a halal cart salesman, using slurs for Egyptians, and then saying that secret service agents in Egypt are “getting your parents.”
Referring to Israel’s response to the Hamas attack that killed 1,200 people, he also says: “If we killed 4,000 Palestinian children? It wasn’t enough.’
This man continues to abuse and harass the Halal cart seller. He ends the video with “If we killed 4,000 Palestinian children? It wasn’t enough.” pic.twitter.com/yhu4HSvIEZ
– Layla 🪬 (@itslaylas) November 21, 2023
His harassment of the halal cart vendor at 83rd and 2nd Avenue has been going on for two weeks.
The NYPD was called multiple times, the local precinct stated that “they can’t do anything because it’s free speech.” pic.twitter.com/6LYL40TTFK– Layla 🪬 (@itslaylas) November 21, 2023
According to his LinkedIn page, Seldowitz also worked as a journalist – briefly as an editor for Bloomberg News – a strategist and a life insurance broker.
Left-wing journalist Matt Binder claimed that Seldowitz served as a State Department agent under five different presidents.
According to his Gotham bio – which has since been removed – he is a three-time winner of the State Department’s Superior Honor Award.
Tommy Vietor, host of the popular liberal podcast Pod Save America and a former spokesman for Obama and the NSC, explained his role in a post on X.
“He was a State Department employee for 30 years who reported to the NSC during the Obama administration, not a direct employee. “But it’s terribly embarrassing for the US government to associate this guy in any way.”
has reached out to Gotham, Seldowitz and the State Department for comment.
Israel and Hamas appeared close to an agreement Tuesday to temporarily end their devastating six-week war over the release of dozens of hostages held in the Gaza Strip in exchange for Palestinians in Israeli prisons.
But as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened his cabinet for a vote, he promised to continue Israel’s offensive against Hamas once the ceasefire ends.
“We are at war and we will continue the war,” he said. “We will continue until we achieve all of our goals.”
The Israeli Cabinet was expected to vote on a plan that would halt the Israeli offensive in Gaza for several days in return for the release of about 50 of the 240 hostages held by Hamas.
Israel has vowed to continue the war until it destroys Hamas’ military capabilities and returns all hostages.
Hamas predicted that a Qatar-brokered deal could be reached in “the coming hours.”
Mr. Netanyahu acknowledged that the Cabinet faced a difficult decision, but supporting the ceasefire was the right decision.
The prime minister appeared to have enough support to pass the measure despite opposition from some hardline ministers.
Mr. Netanyahu said intelligence efforts will be maintained during the lull to allow the army to prepare for the next phases of the battle. He said the fighting would continue until “Gaza no longer poses a threat to Israel.”
The comments came as Israel and Hamas appeared to be close to an agreement to temporarily end their devastating six-week war so that dozens of hostages held in the Gaza Strip could be released in exchange for Palestinians in Israeli prisons.
A woman tapes up photos of Israelis missing and held captive in Gaza as officials are said to be considering a deal to secure the release of some hostages
Hamas predicted a Qatar-brokered deal could be reached in “the coming hours”, while Mr Netanyahu summoned senior decision-makers to discuss the matter.
“We are advancing,” the prime minister told troops during a visit to a training base early Tuesday. “I hope there will be good news soon.”
The announcement came as Israeli troops battled Palestinian militants in an urban refugee camp in northern Gaza and near hospitals overflowing with patients and homeless families.
Mr. Netanyahu’s office said the three-member special war cabinet met on Tuesday and that meetings of his security cabinet, a forum of senior security officials and the entire cabinet would follow.
There was no word on whether a vote would take place and details of a deal were not released.
Fighting in the Gaza Strip, now in its seventh week, has shifted to the Jabaliya refugee camp
Israeli media reported that an agreement would include a five-day halt to the Israeli offensive in Gaza and the release of 50 hostages held by Hamas in exchange for about 150 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.
Israel’s Channel 12 television said the first broadcasts would take place on Thursday or Friday and last for several days.
The talks have repeatedly stalled. But even if a deal is reached, it would not mean the end of the war that broke out on October 7 after Hamas militants stormed across the border into southern Israel, killing at least 1,200 people, most of them civilians, and around 240 kidnapped others.