MIAMI BEACH, Fla. – A prominent South Florida rabbi is calling out the Fontainebleau at Miami Beach after claiming he was subjected to a verbal tirade in the hotel’s lobby on Sunday night.
Rabbi Shmuley Boteach, who recorded the confrontation with his cellphone, said he was met with offensive remarks, including threats and derogatory language, an incident he says highlights the growing issue of antisemitism.
“You like to kill babies…you know that,” a man can be heard saying in the video, followed by, “I will spit on your face right now, get out of the lobby right now.”
6 p.m. report:
The man also allegedly called Boteach a “baby killer,” a “son of a b----,” and a “p----,” while shouting, “Free Palestine, mother f-----.”
Boteach responded to the incident, saying, “If I as a Jew is not safe in this hotel, you are not safe.”
The Fontainebleau issued a statement condemning the language used, calling it “abhorrent” and emphasizing that it does not represent the hotel’s values.
“A verbal altercation occurred over the weekend between two individuals in the lobby of our hotel. During this isolated incident, one of the individuals used abhorrent language, which we find horrific and will not be tolerated on our property. Our security team prioritized de-escalating the incident to prevent any physical altercation, and once the individuals left on their own accords, we proactively engaged with the Miami Beach Police Department. We sincerely apologize to those impacted by this individual’s words, which in no way represent our company’s views.”
Boteach has announced plans to file a $100 million lawsuit against the Fontainebleau, accusing the hotel of failing to prevent the incident.
“We are going to file a $100 million lawsuit against the Fontainebleau’s bigotry, racism, and antisemitism,” he said.