{"id":597,"date":"2023-10-13T13:41:37","date_gmt":"2023-10-13T13:41:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/connectwithfund.com\/business\/israeli-billionaire-blasts-harvard-leadership-and-quits-board-in-protest\/"},"modified":"2023-10-13T13:41:38","modified_gmt":"2023-10-13T13:41:38","slug":"israeli-billionaire-blasts-harvard-leadership-and-quits-board-in-protest","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/connectwithfund.com\/?p=597","title":{"rendered":"Israeli billionaire blasts Harvard leadership and quits board in protest"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

\n Israeli billionaire Idan Ofer and his wife Batia are quitting a Harvard executive board in protest of how university leaders have responded to Hamas\u2019 terror attacks on Israel.\n <\/p>\n

\n \u201cUnfortunately, our faith in the University\u2019s leadership has been broken and we cannot in good faith continue to support Harvard and its committees,\u201d the couple said in a statement to CNN.\n <\/p>\n

\n Idan Ofer has amassed a fortune valued at nearly $20 billion, according to Bloomberg\u2019s billionaire index, where the Israeli ranks No. 80.\n <\/p>\n

\n The decision by the Ofers to step down from the executive board of Harvard\u2019s Kennedy School of Government adds to the swirl of controversy at the university following the release of an anti-Israel statement by a coalition of student groups.\n <\/p>\n

\n That letter solely blamed Israel for the deadly attacks by Hamas, setting off a firestorm and prompting some students to distance themselves from it.\n <\/p>\n

\n The anti-Israel letter was not the main reason the Ofers decided to resign and criticize Harvard leadership, a person familiar with the matter told CNN on Friday. Instead, the resignation was driven by how Harvard leaders responded to the attacks on Israel, the source said.\n <\/p>\n

\n \u201cWe denounce those who seek to place blame on the people of Israel for the atrocities committed by the terrorist organisation, Hamas,\u201d the Ofers said.\n <\/p>\n

\n \u201cOur decision\u201d to resign from the board \u201chas been precipitated by the lack of clear evidence of support from the University\u2019s leadership for the people of Israel following the tragic events of the past week, coupled with their apparent unwillingness to recognize Hamas for what it is, a terrorist organization,\u201d the Ofers said.\n <\/p>\n

\n The Kennedy School board is chaired by billionaire David Rubenstein and includes business and philanthropic leaders who advise the dean and are \u201camong the most committed financial supporters\u201d of the school, according to its website.\n <\/p>\n

\n Idan Ofer is a son of shipping billionaire Sammy Ofer, who was once Israel\u2019s richest man and died in 2011, according to Forbes. He owns a majority stake in Israel Corp., an energy, shipping and chemicals conglomerate. He is also a controller shareholder in Kenon Holdings, a New York-listed holding company.\n <\/p>\n

\n With so much disinformation being spread by social media it is essential that the world\u2019s great institutions speak with a clear and unequivocal voice at this critical time.\n <\/p>\n

\n Harvard did not comment on the resignation and criticism from the Ofers. The university instead pointed to a video statement released Thursday night by Harvard President Claudine Gay.\n <\/p>\n

\n \u201cPeople have asked me where we stand. So, let me be clear. Our University rejects terrorism \u2013 that includes the barbaric atrocities perpetrated by Hamas,\u201d Gay said. \u201cOur University rejects hate \u2013 hate of Jews, hate of Muslims, hate of any group of people based on their faith, their national origin, or any aspect of their identify.\u201d\n <\/p>\n

\n Gay added that Harvard \u201crejects the harassment or intimidation of individuals based on their beliefs\u201d and \u201cembraces a commitment to free expression.\u201d\n <\/p>\n

\n \u201cThat commitment extends even to views that many of us find objectionable, even outrageous. We do not punish or sanction people for expressing such views,\u201d Gay said. \u201cBut that is a far cry from endorsing them.\u201d\n <\/p>\n

\n After the anti-Israel statement was released, CEOs and business leaders including hedge fund billionaire Bill Ackman called for the public release of the names of students linked to the organizations that backed the statement. That\u2019s despite the fact that some student distances themselves from the letter or said they hadn\u2019t seen it.\n <\/p>\n

\n A billboard \u201cdoxing truck\u201d drove near Harvard\u2019s campus on Wednesday displaying the names and faces of students that apparently were linked to the statement.\n <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

Read the full article here<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Israeli billionaire Idan Ofer and his wife Batia are quitting a Harvard executive board in protest of how university leaders have responded to Hamas\u2019 terror attacks on Israel. \u201cUnfortunately, our faith in the University\u2019s leadership has been broken and we cannot in good faith continue to support Harvard and its committees,\u201d the couple said in a statement to CNN. Idan Ofer has amassed a fortune valued at nearly $20 billion, according to Bloomberg\u2019s billionaire index, where the Israeli ranks No. 80. The decision by the Ofers to step down from the executive board of Harvard\u2019s Kennedy School of Government adds<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":598,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-597","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business"],"yoast_head":"\nIsraeli billionaire blasts Harvard leadership and quits board in protest | ConnectWithFund<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Israeli billionaire Idan Ofer and his wife Batia are quitting a Harvard executive board in protest of how university leaders have responded to Hamas\u2019\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/connectwithfund.com\/?p=597\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" 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