Billionaires worldwide are supporting a multimillion-dollar campaign that would work in support of Israel against its ongoing conflict with the Hamas militant group.
The development comes amid a series of pro-Palestine protests around the world that have called for a ceasefire in Gaza, as thousands of civilians have already died. The media campaign, Facts for Peace, seeks million-dollar donations from dozens of the biggest names in media, finance, and technology worldwide.
Billionaires Seeks To Support Israel in Media Campaign
More than 50 individuals are being asked to donate to the campaign, including former Google CEO Eric Schmidt, Dell CEO Michael Dell, and financier Michael Milken. These three individuals have a combined net worth of roughly $500 billion.
Some of the individuals who are being courted for the campaign, including investor Bill Ackman, have publicly threatened to blocklist pro-Palestine students who are critical of Israel.
In a post on x, formerly known as Twitter, on Oct. 10, Ackman said that he and other business executives wanted Ivy League universities to disclose the names of students who were part of organizations that signed open letters criticizing Israel policies in Gaza, as per Aljazeera.
The one who started the project is United States billionaire Barry Sternlicht, who said that the campaign would work on helping Israel "get ahead of the narrative." This comes as the world has reacted to the intensive Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip.
The Middle Eastern country has carried out relentless air strikes on the besieged Gaza Strip since Oct. 7. The attacks have since killed at least 11,078 Palestinian people, including 4,500 children, and have displaced 1.5 million people. The assaults have also destroyed the majority of the territory's infrastructure.
The militant group's surprise attack on Israel on Oct. 7 resulted in the death of roughly 1,200 Israelis. The American billionaire's media campaign seeks to brand Hamas as a "terrorist organization" that is not simply the enemy of Israel but of the United States.
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Israel-Hamas Conflict
Sternlicht added that he had a "great conversation" about the effort with the owner of CNN, David Zaslav. He also said that Endeavor CEO and talent agent Ari Emanuel agreed to coordinate the campaign. However, spokespeople of either individual said they are no longer involved, according to Yahoo Finance.
The billionaires noted that the media drive also seeks to "distinguish between anti-Semites and the Palestinian situation. It comes as U.S. and global media increasingly focus coverage on deaths in Gaza, which he said potentially erodes sympathy and support for Israel.
He argued that public opinion will surely change as scenes, real or fabricated by Hamas, of civilian Palestinian suffering will deteriorate empathy for Israel among the world community. The email asking for support was also sent to media mogul David Geffen.
The campaign comes as the United States House of Representatives passed a $14.3 billion aid bill that would support Israel in its fight against Hamas. However, Democratic lawmakers have warned that it would be dead on arrival in the Senate, according to BBC.
