By Melissa Koenig and Max Rivera
A Wall Street analyst has been fired after he was filmed telling a Jewish American to “go back to your country” while he also covered hostage posters with signs accusing Israel of being an “apartheid state” committing “genocide.”
Freepoint Commodities confirmed in a statement that the employee seen in a now-viral video “is no longer associated with” the company that “does not tolerate discrimination and hate speech directed against any group.”
He was identified by journalist Andy Ngo as Kurush Mistry, which sources later also confirmed to the Financial Times.
The woman with him — who called Israelis “rapists” — was his partner, Shailja Gupta, the reports said.
Ngo said the clip — which has already been viewed more than 6.5 million times — was filmed last Thursday at the intersection of 68th Street and Riverside Boulevard.
The man filming is heard asking the couple for their names and if they’re “proud” of covering the posters of some of the more than 200 people still held hostage by Hamas terrorists.
“None of your f–king business, dude, f–k off,” the woman snaps angrily as she and the man both flip their middle fingers at the camera.
Asked again if they’re “real proud” of themselves, the man replies defiantly: ‘Very proud. Very proud.”
The man identified as Mistry then held up the flyer they were taping over the posters, which read: “Israel is an apartheid state and commits genocide.”
“Go live in Israel … go back to your country!” he tells the person confronting them, who replies: “I’m an American. I’m an American Jew.”
The woman identified as Gupta also recorded the incident, telling the man: “I am also a f–king American, darling … Me too, so then you f–k off as well.”
She then claims that the Jewish man doesn’t “want my f–king country to exist,” stating she means “Palestine” — calling him an “uneducated prick” when he notes it is not a country.
Later in the video, Gupta accuses Israelis of being “rapists,” claiming, “I’ve already proved it.”
Freepoint Commodities, a Stamford, Ct.-based company, released a statement saying it was “aware of the recent antisemitic incident reported on social media, and the individual involved is no longer associated with Freepoint.
“We welcome the diversity of views and opinions held by our employees, but Freepoint does not tolerate discrimination and hate speech directed against any group,” the statement said.
Mistry had worked at Freepoint Commodities for nine years, according to his LinkedIn profile.
He was previously employed by Morgan Stanley, Barclays, and Lehman Brothers.
Mistry refused to meet with reporters on Wednesday, as the doorman outside his luxury apartment building — which includes luxury amenities like a steam room, Pilates studio and a large, heated indoor pool — bore the brunt of his ire.
“I didn’t let them in. You don’t have to yell at me,” the doorman said, pulling the phone receiver away from his ear.
A woman walking her Labradoodle puppy nearby later told reporters, “I don’t know him. But I wouldn’t like him.”
Victor Defanidze, 35, a legal fundraiser, also called the situation “unbelievable.”
“This is an extremely normal neighborhood. I feel safe here,” he said.
He added that Tuesday’s March for Israel in Washington DC gives him hope that neighbors like Mistry are part of only a few bad apples.
“I wish I was there,” he said.
