Ari Emanuel (YouTube clip)
Ari Emanuel, the high-powered entertainment mogul and brother of former Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, caused a stir when he publicly denounced Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Emanuel’s remarks came when, in Los Angeles, he accepted the “Humanitarian Award” from the Simon Wiesenthal Center.
In calling for Benjamin Netanyahu to resign, Ari Emanuel said, “Israel will never be truly secure with Bibi Netanyahu in charge,” and also, “For the good of Israel, he should go.”
While the event was not filmed, the New York Times and other publications revealed Ari Emanuel’s comments based on a transcript.
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“Netanyahu doesn’t want a peaceful solution,” added Ari Emanuel. “And it’s become clear that getting to a political solution and Netanyahu remaining in power are irreconcilable paths.”
Ari Emanuel also echoed a constant criticism of Benjamin Netanyahu made by many Israelis – that he is only concerned with remaining in power, he is causing the nation to be more and more divided and more.
“As for his responsibilities to keep the people of the state of Israel and Jews across the globe safe,” said Emanuel, “he has obviously failed spectacularly. But he has succeeded wildly in using division to stay in power.”
“It is up to the Israeli people to choose their own leaders,” he added. “Israel is a democracy. But as Jews, we have a stake in this. We also have a responsibility to speak out. We are called to ‘repair the world’ — ‘tikkun olam.’ And, as Elie Wiesel said, ‘Sometimes we must interfere.’”
The Simon Wiesenthal Center did neither criticized nor affirmed Ari Emanuel’s statements. However, the organization did release a statement saying, “While our membership, like the Jewish community at large, contains a healthy range of opinions, the Center’s gala is not a platform for personal political opinions.”
Ari Emanuel is a big name in the entertainment industry. Currently, Emanuel leads Endeavor, a powerful entertainment and media agency. This company owns major properties like the UFC and WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment). Emanuel wasn’t always at the helm of his own company. He was a key player in founding Endeavor Talent Agency and played a crucial role in its successful merger with the William Morris Agency in 2009, creating the current Endeavor.
Ari Emanuel is known as a mogul and a force to be reckoned with in Hollywood. His influence extends beyond talent representation, having served on the board of directors for Live Nation Entertainment. Before founding Endeavor, Emanuel honed his skills at other talent agencies like InterTalent and ICM Partners.
