"Are You Baby Killers?" California Hotel Worker Harasses Israeli Guests on Camera | WATCH
A front desk employee at a California resort yelled "Free Palestine" at guests who spoke Hebrew, asked if they had served in the IDF, and filmed the encounter himself. He was later let go.
A hotel employee in Cambria, California was fired this week after filming himself aggressively confronting an Israeli-American couple at the front desk of Oceanpoint Ranch, demanding to know if they were "baby killers," whether they were Zionists, and whether they had served in the Israeli military. The encounter, which took place Thursday evening, May 22, was recorded by the employee himself, posted to social media, and has since been viewed hundreds of thousands of times.
The employee, identified as 24-year-old Ryan Smith, can be seen in the video yelling "Free Palestine" at the couple as they attempted to check in. The guests, a dual U.S.-Israeli citizen couple who spoke Hebrew to each other during the encounter, appeared visibly frightened. They ultimately decided not to stay at the hotel and left the premises.
"Are you baby killers? Are you Zionists? Did you serve in the IDF?"
— Ryan Smith, front desk employee, to guests at check-in
Rather than conceal the footage, Smith uploaded it himself, framing the confrontation as an act of conscience. He described himself as a pro-Palestine activist and characterized his behavior as "speaking up" against what he called genocide and ethnic cleansing in Gaza. The video spread rapidly, triggering widespread condemnation and accusations of antisemitic harassment in a customer-service setting.
Oceanpoint Ranch opened an investigation immediately after the footage circulated. The hotel issued an apology to the guests and confirmed that Smith had departed, either through resignation or, in Smith's own telling, by being let go. The hotel stated that the behavior violated their standards and that they are committed to ensuring all guests feel safe on their property.
Following his departure, Smith launched a GoFundMe campaign titled "Support Ryan's Stand for Justice," in which he stated he was "let go" for speaking out and asked for job recommendations in California from employers who would not fire him for saying "Free Palestine." As of Sunday, the campaign had raised approximately $11,000 toward an $18,000 goal.
The incident has drawn sharp reactions across the political spectrum. Many commentators and Jewish advocacy organizations condemned the confrontation as a textbook example of antisemitic harassment. Nonetheless, no law enforcement action has been publicly announced. The story continues to develop.