“This is a painful and crucial moment for all of us who are Jews and who love Israel, and it’s not a time to stay silent” declared Ari Emanuel, the CEO of the Endeavor agency and one of Hollywood’s most outspoken voices in the fight against antisemitism, as he accepted the Simon Wiesenthal Center’s highest honor, the Humanitarian Award, at the organization’s National Tribute Gala on Wednesday evening. Emanuel then went on to slam Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu for his handling of the Israel-Gaza war, as many attendees applauded, but dozens of others stormed out of the room, and others still booed: “For the good of Israel, he should go.”
Emanuel emphasized that the Hamas attacks of October 7 sparked the war, and that Israel was well within its rights to respond, declaring, “One lesson of our history is that we must defend ourselves. All wars are brutal. Women, children and civilians suffer. It’s terrible. Yet some wars are justified. Israel didn’t start the war in Gaza; Hamas did.”
But, he asserted, Netanyahu’s actions over the months since have been reprehensible, have made finding a political solution harder and have damaged Israel’s standing around the world:
More to come.
Emanuel famously does not mince his words, especially on matters related to antisemitism and Israel. In recent years, he led the industry’s boycott of Kanye West after the rapper went on an antisemitic tirade; and he slammed Netanyahu for failing to prevent the terrorist attacks of October 7, 2023.
The SWC fundraiser has taken place since 1977 and brings together many of the most powerful and influential people in the business, Jews and non-Jews alike.
This year’s event was emceed by Emmy winner Alex Borstein, the daughter of a Holocaust survivor. In a video played for the audience, testimonials about Emanuel were shared by his mother Marsha Emanuel, brothers Rahm Emanuel and Ezekiel Emanuel, sons Ezra Emanuel, Leo Emanuel and Noah Emanuel, and daughter Ashlee Emanuel, as well as Larry David, Robert Kraft, Mark Wahlberg, Rick Rosen, Nancy Josephson, Adriana Alberghetti, Richard Weitz, Ron Perelman, Hakim Benvader, Sally Shaywitz, Mark Shapiro, Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski, Sarah Staudinger, Dana White, Dwayne Johnson and Christian Muirhead.
Past recipients of SWC’s Humanitarian Award include Elizabeth Taylor, Tom Cruise, Billy Crystal, Jim Gianopulos, Jon Feltheimer, George Clooney, Eddy Cue, Bob Iger, Katzenberg, Ted Sarandos and, last year, Shari Redstone.
Among the chairs of this year’s event were Katzenberg, Redstone, Haim Saban, Eric Schmidt, Mark Shapiro and David Zaslav, while Marc Andreesen, Michael Dell, James Dolan, David Ellison, Roger Goodell, Ynon Kreiz, Donna Langley, Ron Perelman, Joe Roth, Tom Rothman, Jennifer Salke, Iger and Sarandos were all co-chairs.
Attendees also included Emanuel’s longtime client Larry David and his former college roommate and filmmaker Peter Berg.
This was the first major SWC event to take place under the oversight of Jim Berk, who succeeded SWC founder and longtime chief Rabbi Marvin Hier earlier this year.
In addition to Emanuel, SWC also honored Gabriella Karins, a Holocaust survivor, and Danielle Sassi, a survivor of the October 7 attack on the NOVA Music Festival, with Medal of Valor awards.
