Police have arrested a former official from the Obama government who called an Egyptian street vendor a terrorist and said the deaths of 4,000 Palestinian children “wasn’t enough”.

Stuart Seldowitz’s actions were caught on camera and he faces charges including aggravated harassment, hate crime stalking, and stalking at a place of employment.

Video of the 64-year-old having arguments with the unidentified man over the Israel-Hamas war went viral earlier this month.

In one clip, filmed in a Manhattan street, he tells the halal food seller: “If we killed 4,000 Palestinian kids, you know what? It wasn’t enough. It wasn’t enough!”

Be the first to get Breaking News

Install the Sky News app for free

In another, when the vendor asks his name, he says it’s Muhammad – and when the man tells him to leave he tells him: “But you’re a terrorist, you support terrorism.”

New York Police said a 24-year-old man had complained he had been approached “multiple times” by a person making “anti-Islamic statements” that caused him “to feel afraid and annoyed”.

Mr Seldowitz worked in the State Department as acting director for the National Security Council’s South Asia directorate during President Obama’s government, according to his LinkedIn profile – which is now down.

He told the New York Times he had also worked for the State Department’s office of Israel and Palestinian affairs.

Read more from Sky News:
Axl Rose and Jamie Foxx accused of sexual assault
Two die in explosion in Niagara Falls after car crashes

Speaking before his arrest, he claimed the videos didn’t tell the whole story and he only got upset after the man said he supported the Hamas terror attack on Israel on 7 October.

“The comments that went beyond him, and could be interpreted as attacks on Muslims and Arab-Americans and so on, were probably not appropriate,” Mr Seldowitz told WNBC television.

“The comments I made calling him out for his support of terrorism – those I think were appropriate.”

Asked about the videos, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said: “The United States unequivocally opposes racist or discriminatory language of any form.”

Related posts:

Anne Sacoolas open to ‘mediation’ with Harry Dunn’s family Serena Williams leaves news conference in tears after semi-final defeat Emergency spring break curfew imposed amid bar brawls as thousands descend on Miami Beach Ida makes landfall as ‘extremely dangerous’ category four storm – National Hurricane Center The second home of ‘Satchmo’ gone: Hurricane Ida rips at the jazz heart of New Orleans Turning 40 is ‘terrifying’, says singer Adam Lambert Man charged with murder of teenage girls who died hiking on day off school US comedian found with loaded gun in hand luggage at airport ‘It’s a hoax’: New charges cannot shake Trump supporters’ loyalty Lizzo says ‘I am not the villain’ in first statement since sexual harassment allegations Man suspected of killing judge who ruled against him in divorce case found dead The victims of the Maine mass shooting