May 18th 2024.
A group of influential business leaders in New York City have recently come under scrutiny for their involvement in the handling of anti-Israel protests at Columbia University. Reports have surfaced that these prominent figures, including Howard Shultz of Starbucks, Michael Dell of Dell Technologies, and Bill Ackman of Pershing Square Capital Management, created a WhatsApp group chat after the initial Hamas attack on Israel in October 2023. Their main objective was to put pressure on Mayor Eric Adams to take action and disperse the protesters by sending in the New York Police Department.
The group also discussed the idea of hiring private investigators to assist the NYPD in handling the protests, as well as potentially making donations to Adams' reelection campaign. In late April 2023, a few members of the group, including Daniel Lubetzky of Kind and Len Blavatnik, had a virtual meeting with Mayor Adams to discuss their concerns. This meeting took place just one week after the NYPD was first sent to the Ivy League campus to address the protests.
During their conversations, the group also explored ways to raise awareness about the actions of Hamas, including screenings of short films featuring body camera and cell phone footage from the terror attack. Some members even claim to have received briefings from the Israeli government. However, city officials have denied any involvement of private investigators and stated that the decision to send in the NYPD was solely based on a written request from Columbia University.
In response to these allegations, Deputy Mayor Fabien Levy has strongly condemned any insinuation that the group's actions were influenced by their Jewish background or financial contributions. He also clarified that the decision to send in law enforcement was made in direct response to requests from the university, not the group's influence. Some members of the group have also denied making any donations to Adams' campaign.
It is worth noting that the group chat was eventually shut down in May 2024 due to conversations straying from their original intent and the group's founders becoming inactive after its launch seven months prior. This recent controversy has sparked a debate about the role of wealthy individuals in influencing government operations and the potential implications of such actions. Mayor Adams, for his part, has defended the NYPD's handling of the protests and reiterated that the decisions were made in the best interest of public safety.
[This article has been trending online recently and has been generated with AI. Your feed is customized.]
[Generative AI is experimental.]
