WASHINGTON — A Muslim hotel valet at one of Washington’s most exclusive hotels has sued his employer, claiming he was barred from working on floors occupied last year by a visiting Israeli delegation.

Mohamed Arafi of Kensington filed the suit in federal court in Washington on Monday against the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group.

Arafi says that his bosses prevented him from working on the 8th and 9th floors of the hotel back in December when those floors were occupied by an Israeli delegation. The lawsuit alleges that hotel supervisors unlawfully discriminated against Arafi by agreeing to an Israeli request that Muslims and Arabs be kept off the floors.

Arafi is a naturalized U.S. citizen and native of Morocco. He is also Muslim.

A hotel spokeswoman had no immediate comment Monday.