A former California hotel staffer claims that he was fired on Friday after harassing Israeli guests and publishing footage of the incident, but the hotel said on Saturday that he had resigned.
A hotel staffer, identifying as Ryan Smith on a GoFundMe fundraiser, said in a Thursday Instagram post that he had said "free Palestine" to a pair of Israeli guests at the Oceanpoint Ranch in Cambria.
An Israeli woman confronted him, according to the video published by Smith, telling him that he should be "completely objective" to paying guests.
Smith expressed shock when the guest said that she was a Zionist after he had used it as a slur, and then demanded to know if her partner had served in the IDF.
"Are you a baby killer?" asked Smith.
The Israeli man said that he refused to interact with the hotel staffer and continued on, but his partner expressed concern about staying at a hotel where he worked.
Called for others to "give them hell"
"I won't stay here, certainly he'll break into our room and do something," the woman said in Hebrew.
Smith claimed on Instagram that the woman threatened to call the police because "the only thing these cowards can do is hide behind the pedo[phile] regime that runs the country."
Alongside the video, Smith called for others to "give them hell" if one saw them in California, and that if he "could've he would've."
"I’ve never stared into the soul of the devil like I did tonight," wrote Smith. "The woman (dual citizen of Israel) proceeds to confront me after I see [sic] 'free Palestine' as they leave the lobby. She then takes a step further and proceeds to admit to being a Zionist."
Smith later opened a fundraiser, claiming that he had been "let go" from his job, and asked for donations to support him while he sought new employment. As of Sunday morning, Smith raised $11,773 dollars.
"The world needs to be set free, and I believe peace and love will overcome," Smith said on his fundraiser web page.
The Oceanpoint Ranch did not immediately respond to a query from The Jerusalem Post, but said in a Saturday social media post that Smith had "unilaterally resigned" from his position after the hotel opened an investigation into the incident.
"The events in the video do not reflect the professionalism and hospitality that our team members are trained to deliver to all our valued guests," said Oceanpoint Ranch.
"Our team remains committed to fostering a respectful environment for all of our guests, employees, and community."