The incident is part of a series involving individuals of Indian origin becoming entangled in the contentious dialogue in the US surrounding the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel
Kurush Mistry, a former oil analyst at Freepoint Commodities in New York, has been dismissed from his position following the emergence of a video containing alleged anti-Semitic remarks. The Financial Times revealed Mistry’s identity, reporting that the company, without directly naming him, confirmed his termination in a statement on November 15.
The incident is part of a series involving individuals of Indian origin becoming entangled in the contentious dialogue in the US surrounding the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel. Mistry’s actions included covering posters in New York with pamphlets that said “Occupiers face consequence,” accusing Israel of “genocide” and being an “apartheid state.”
During this activity, a Jewish American man confronted Mistry, asking if he was proud of his actions. Mistry responded with a racist insult, telling the man to “go back to your country” and to “go live in Israel,” accompanied by an obscene gesture and foul language. The woman accompanying him, identified as Shailja Gupta, also engaged in similar behavior, using offensive language and gestures.
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The social media response included condemnations from individuals disassociating themselves from Mistry’s actions, emphasizing that his views did not represent the broader Indian community
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The LinkedIn profile of Mistry indicated his background as a chartered accountant and a graduate of the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad
The incident drew attention on social media when a video of the interaction in Manhattan was posted on the platform X by Andy Ngo, a critic of the left. Freepoint Commodities, in response, stated on its website that it values diverse views but does not tolerate discrimination and hate speech. The company acknowledged the incident and confirmed that the individual involved, implicitly referring to Mistry, is no longer associated with the company.
In the video, Gupta claimed her country was Palestine, referred to Jewish people as “rapists,” and asserted that she had proven this in published papers. Despite Mistry’s statement that he has nothing against Jewish people, the company took a firm stance against discrimination and hate speech.
The social media response included condemnations from individuals disassociating themselves from Mistry’s actions, emphasizing that his views did not represent the broader Indian community. The LinkedIn profile of Mistry indicated his background as a chartered accountant and a graduate of the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad.
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