Kurush Mistry and Shailja Gupta, an Indian couple, are facing significant online backlash after their actions, deemed antisemitic, went viral on X (formerly Twitter). The footage captured them obscuring posters of kidnapped Israelis with signs proclaiming, “OCCUPIERS FACE CONSEQUENCES,” against the backdrop of the ongoing Middle East conflict. As of the article’s writing, the couple had not issued a public response to the controversy.
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On November 10, X user @MrAndyNgo alleged on the platform that Mistry and Gupta were covering up posters in Manhattan depicting kidnapped Israeli civilians. One of the posters they displayed alongside the obscured signs accused Israel of being an apartheid state committing genocide. In the video, the couple can be heard instructing a Jewish man recording them to “go back to your country.” Gupta further referred to the man as an “uneducated prick” and made derogatory remarks about Jewish people.
The two-minute clip had gained nearly two million views at the time of writing.
Who are Shailja Gupta and Kurush Mistry?
Kurush Mistry, an oil analyst at Freepoint Commodities for the past nine years, has a professional history that includes roles at Morgan Stanley Capital International, Barclays Capital, and Lehman Brothers. He holds degrees from the Indian Institute of Management in Ahmedabad and the University of Madras, along with certification from The Institute of Chartered Accountants in India. His Instagram account was set to private as of the article’s writing.
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Shailja Gupta, a visual artist, filmmaker, and emerging tech strategic consultant for 29 years, is the founder of Pocket Box Office, specializing in memorabilia, vinyl toy manufacturing, and AI avatar-based storytelling. With a background in creative and marketing roles, she has served as the head of marketing for Bollywood films such as Ra. One, Chennai Express, and Singham Returns, earning accolades like the Wharton Social Media Leadership Award and Zee Awards’ Best use of digital media. Her X account, @Shailja, was inactive as of the article’s writing.