A WhatsApp leak has revealed that a group of business leaders discussed ways to put pressure on officials to remove pro-Palestinian protesters.
A handful of powerful businessmen are pressuring New York City Mayor Eric Adams to use police to crack down on pro-Palestinian student protesters at Columbia University, donating to politicians and offering to pay private investigators to help quell protests, the Washington Post reports. It was reported on the 19th (local time). The report is based on leaked WhatsApp conversations.
The story, published Thursday, said several billionaires seeking to influence public perception of Israel’s war in Gaza discussed ways to pressure mayors and university presidents to end the protests. answer.
“A member of the WhatsApp chat group told The Post that he donated $2,100 to Adams that month, the maximum legal limit.
“Some members even offered to pay private investigators to help the NYPD deal with the protests. Chat logs show that Adams accepted the offer reported in the chat by this group member.” City officials denied that private investigators were used to help manage the protests, according to the story.
The report comes amid growing concerns about a crackdown on political expression as universities across the country continue to use force against pro-Palestinian movements. A number of universities have successfully negotiated with student camps calling for the divestment of companies involved in Israel’s war in Gaza and a boycott of Israeli institutions.
The WhatsApp chat cited by the Washington Post included prominent businesspeople including former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz, Dell founder and CEO Michael Dell, hedge fund manager Bill Ackman, and former President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and advisory board member Joshua Kushner. Middle East issues, Jared Kushner.
Other leaders, including snack company founder Daniel Lubetzky, hedge fund manager Daniel Loeb, billionaire Len Blavatnik and real estate investor Joseph Sitt, also joined Adams on April 26. He said he had a video conference with the mayor.
Sending in police did little to dampen the morale of pro-Palestinian protesters, and in some cases increased support from faculty and fellow students.
Supporters of the crackdown say it is necessary to ensure the safety of Jewish students, some of whom say they have been made uncomfortable by anti-Israel rhetoric at protests, but pro-Palestinian students, many of whom are Jewish, have been hit hardest. Violence against protests broke out across the country without authorities expressing concern.
Earlier this week, the union representing about 48,000 California graduate workers authorized a strike over the treatment of student protesters at universities such as the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where pro-Israel rioters attacked pro-Palestinians. While police stand by, they guard the encampment with metal pipes and mace. Several pro-Palestinian activists were hospitalized.
The next day, police arrived to eliminate the pro-Palestinian camp.
