The Fontainebleau Miami Beach filed a lawsuit on Thursday, accusing Rabbi Shmuley Boteach of defamation, extortion, and interference with its business relationships. The lawsuit, filed in the Miami-Dade County Circuit Court, also names unnamed defendants, referred to as “John Does 1-10.” Attorney Sean Burstyn of Burstyn Law PLLC represents the hotel.
The hotel alleges that Boteach used social media to falsely accuse it of antisemitism and supporting Nazi-like policies, including fabricating statements and creating artificial intelligence-generated videos to misrepresent the actions of its staff. The lawsuit describes the campaign as malicious and financially motivated.
“In every context imaginable, reasonable people would call the actions of Defendant Jacob Shmuel Botach a/k/a ‘Shmuley Boteach’ a ‘shakedown,’” the lawsuit states. The filing accuses Boteach of attempting to extort $1 million from the hotel, allegedly demanding the money as a “donation” to his organization, the World Values Network, in exchange for halting his public accusations.
The hotel claims Boteach posted AI-generated videos purporting to show its staff “celebrating antisemitism” and engaging in Nazi-like behavior. These videos allegedly included fabricated statements and actions, such as security personnel fist-bumping and hugging Boteach’s alleged attacker. The lawsuit asserts these videos were deliberately misleading and designed to harm the hotel’s reputation.
“Defendant Boteach published several AI-generated videos of persons affiliated with the hotel in which he purports to quote them apologizing (i.e., admitting misconduct) and denying the wrongfulness of antisemitism,” the lawsuit reads.
The December 2 incident
The allegations stem from an altercation on December 2, when Boteach claimed he was harassed in the hotel lobby. In his Jerusalem Post column titled “Antisemitic nightmare at Fontainebleau Miami Beach,” Boteach wrote that a man, identified as Faiz Akbar, threatened him with graphic violence, calling him a “baby killer” and other antisemitic slurs.
Boteach alleged that the hotel’s security team sided with his attacker, claiming a staff member “fist-bumped and hugged” the assailant. He further accused the Fontainebleau of refusing to cooperate with law enforcement by withholding surveillance footage of the incident.
The hotel denies these allegations, asserting that its security team de-escalated the situation, barred the alleged attacker from the premises, and cooperated with law enforcement. It also accused Boteach of editing videos to create the appearance of antisemitic behavior.
The lawsuit highlights Boteach’s history of confrontations at the hotel, noting a previous incident in which he allegedly sought compensation after another altercation in the lobby. “While Defendant Boteach publicly claims that in 2023 he proposed aligning with the hotel in exchange for a commitment to retrain security… Defendant Boteach omits that he also demanded personal lifetime access to the swimming pool and gym,” the lawsuit alleges.
The lawsuit also details alleged harassment of hotel representatives by Boteach, including personal attacks on attorney Sean Burstyn. According to the filing, Boteach publicly posted Burstyn’s synagogue location, contacted his rabbis, and likened him to a “kapo.”
Boteach responds to the lawsuit
Boteach provided a response to the Jerusalem Post, saying, “On the night of December 1st, while I sat peacefully writing an acceptance speech at the request of my brother and friend Robert F. Kennedy, Jr as Secretary of Health and Services, I was violently assaulted, humiliated, and threatened with murder by Faiz Akbar, in a video has disgusted millions of people the world over. Watching this assault as innocent bystanders, Fontainebleau security finally came over and, rather than protect me or call the police, which I repeatedly demanded, fist-bumped and hugged the would-be terrorist and asked, “How can we help you.”
“At 12:15 am, I sent the video of the attack to Fontainebleau attack COO Phil Goldberg, whose daughter Dara I had brought to Israel on Birthright, asking him to address the threat against my life and close down the incident peacefully. Goldbarf, who had already lied to me 18 months earlier in a similar near-lethal attack at his hotel that he would retrain his security to protect Jewish guests with yarmulkes or Magen Davids, ignored me completely, which led me to report the hate crime to the police and the FBI, who are currently investigating. The ADL today similarly condemned the attack as an antisemitic hate crime.”
“Today, the owner of Fontainebleau, Jeffrey Soffer, joined the ranks of arch-antisemites David Duke, Candace Owens, and Antonio Guterrez of the UN in saying Jews are responsible for antisemitism rather than its victims. Soffer’s fraudulent lawsuit reads like a photocopy of the Protocols of the Elders of Zion, accusing Jews of being money-grubbing shakedown artists who incite and fabricate antisemitism for cash.”
“The media is reporting that Soffer’s failing hotels are so in need of an immediate cash infusion of $1.2 billion – allegedly to stave off bankruptcy – that he no doubt feared that the underwriters, Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan Chase, would abandon his bond issue if he were to confess to a dangerous hate-crime that occurred in his hotel with Jews and the IDF being savagely attacked as baby killers.”
“Soffer further fraudulently reached out to philanthropists like my close friend Miriam Adelson to broker peace, falsely telling her that he would issue an apology if we dropped any demand for a donation to Jewish charities battling antisemitism. We immediately agreed. Soffer’s real intention, it seems, was to mislead Mrs. Adelson, giving his attorneys time to prepare a preemptive frivolous lawsuit that would frame the narrative as a Rabbi who had attacked a terrorist rather than the reverse and allegedly protect bond issue and hotel’s collapse.”
“We will immediately countersue, and all funds will be God-willing donated to charity to defend Israel and fight antisemitism,” Boteach’s statement concluded.
Responding to these attacks, Professor Alan Dershowitz defended Burstyn, stating: “Sean Burstyn is a proud Jew, a champion of Jewish causes throughout America and Israel, and a skilled trial lawyer. I know this because he has represented me, and I have followed his career since he was a law student. Sean is a man of integrity who will lead the next generation of Jewish American attorneys.”
Statements from Jewish leaders
Rabbi Abraham Cooper of the Simon Wiesenthal Center also weighed in, defending Jeffrey Soffer, the hotel’s owner, against accusations of antisemitism.
“For nearly 50 years, the Soffer family has staunchly supported the work of the Simon Wiesenthal Center in confronting antisemitism, advocating for the safety of Israel, and pursuing Nazis,” Cooper said. “Any claim to the contrary is wrong and harmful, particularly during these times when we need Jewish unity now more than ever.”
The Fontainebleau claims Boteach’s statements have led to financial losses, including hundreds of canceled reservations. The lawsuit argues that Boteach’s accusations are not only false but harmful to the fight against antisemitism.
“Defendant Boteach’s targeted harassment of innocent hotel personnel is a harmful and misdirected response to the serious scourge of antisemitism, which the hotel again condemns in no uncertain terms,” the filing states.
The Fontainebleau is seeking damages, including punitive damages, and an injunction to prevent further defamatory actions. The court will determine whether Boteach’s actions constitute protected speech or unlawful defamation and extortion.
The Fontainebleau told the Post that the hotel is a “landmark that has shaped the safe, welcoming atmosphere that defines our city. “
“Weeks of outrageous and false attacks on our Hotel and personnel, combined with demands for payment, have forced us to seek judicial relief.”
On Thursday, Jonathan Greenblatt, head of the Anti-Defamation League, posted a support message for Boteach on X. “I’m appalled that my friend Rabbi Shmuley Boteach has been harassed and maligned both in public places and private spaces for his outspoken defense of the Jewish people.”
I’m appalled that my friend @RabbiShmuley has been harassed and maligned both in public places and private spaces for his outspoken defense of the Jewish people.Whether offline or online, it’s infuriating to see Jewish people bullied and intimidated every single day across…
— Jonathan Greenblatt (@JGreenblattADL) December 19, 2024
“It’s an attack on us all. Rabbi Shmuley has spent his life in service to the Jewish people. I’ve seen him stand up and defend fellow Jews, including myself. And I stand with him,” he concluded.
The Fontainebleau Miami Beach is a historic luxury hotel in Miami Beach, Florida, known for its iconic curvilinear design by Morris Lapidus and its 1954 debut. It has hosted celebrities, world leaders, and major cultural events, appearing in films like Goldfinger. After a $1 billion renovation in 2008, the hotel offers modern amenities, including high-end restaurants, nightclubs, and luxury accommodations, while preserving its historical charm.
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