Billionaire Joseph Edelman, founder of hedge fund Perceptive Advisors, has announced his resignation from his former board of trustees at Brown University.
In an article published on September 9 in The Wall Street Journal, he explained his decision.
Note that the conflict began in April 2024, when, during the “student intifada,” the university agreed to cut all ties with Israel in exchange for the dismantling of a protest camp on campus. This event caused a wide resonance and gave impetus to new anti-Semitic actions.
A commission was later created that recommended “the cancellation of all investments in Israel” to ensure peace on campus. These recommendations will be reviewed in November 2024 by the Board of Trustees, chaired by Brian Moynihan.
Edelman believes that even the appointment is “morally vile” and demonstrates “capitulation to pogromists.” He noted that holding such a vote after the horrific attack on the Jewish people on October 7, 2024 is immoral. He said that Israel has an obligation to protect its citizens, like any other state.
Edelman also expressed the view that Israel is unfairly forced to sacrifice the lives of its citizens to preserve the lives of its enemies, called civilians. He added that the university leadership’s decision was not related to values, but was dictated by weakness in the face of activists who support Hamas and the BDS movement. Edelman noted that BDS attempts to legitimize anti-Semitism in American institutions and is often associated with terrorist organizations.
He stressed that the university leadership’s policy of appeasement is, in essence, a capitulation to the hatred that led to the Holocaust and the October 7 atrocities.
“Anti-Semitic voices on campus began to be heard even before Israel responded to the October 7 attack. Why don’t (university officials) listen to these ‘voices’ about whether Israel has a right to exist? Do they have a right to exist? Jews have a right to exist and at the same time, hold a vote on these issues to complete the picture,” the billionaire said.
Edelman concluded by calling the university’s actions a “shocking failure” and stressing that he no longer wants his name associated with the institution.
Edelman is Brown University’s largest donor, giving nearly $2 million this year alone, according to The Brown Daily Herald.
Previously, Cursor reported that anti-Israel protests had engulfed Harvard.
