Former State Department Official Arrested After Harassing Muslim Street Vendor in New York
Stuart Seldowitz, a former high-ranking US government official, was captured on video harassing a halal food vendor in New York City and making inflammatory remarks about the conflict in Gaza. The 64-year-old, who previously served as deputy director of the US State Department’s Office of Israel and Palestinian Affairs, was arrested on charges of aggravated harassment, hate crime stalking, stalking causing fear, and stalking at a place of employment, according to New York police.
The incident, which occurred on multiple occasions, involved Seldowitz approaching the 24-year-old male victim at his workplace and making anti-Islamic statements, causing the victim to feel afraid and annoyed. Video footage of the encounters went viral, showing Seldowitz making derogatory remarks about the Prophet Muhammad, calling the vendor “ignorant,” and threatening to use his government connections to mobilize Egypt’s secret police against the vendor.
In one exchange captured on video, Seldowitz is heard saying, “If we killed 4,000 Palestinian kids, it wasn’t enough,” and referring to the vendor as a terrorist. The vendor is seen repeatedly asking Seldowitz to leave.
Seldowitz defended his actions in an interview with local television news, stating that the video posted on social media failed to tell the whole story and that he became upset after the man expressed sympathies for the Palestinian group Hamas. However, none of the videos show the vendor mentioning the group that rules Gaza.
The incident has prompted New Yorkers to rally in support of the vendor, with many residents lining up to buy food from the halal cart in Manhattan’s Upper East Side neighborhood. The Street Vendor Project, an organization that works with food carts in New York, described the scene as “moving” and emphasized the importance of standing against anti-Muslim hate.
The conflict in Gaza has resulted in a surge of anti-Semitic and Islamophobic incidents in the US, as well as frequent street protests in support of both Israel and Palestine. The US State Department has condemned Seldowitz’s behavior, with spokesperson Matthew Miller stating, “The United States unequivocally opposes racist or discriminatory language of any form.”
Seldowitz is currently facing legal proceedings in relation to the charges brought against him.