Billionaire Bill Ackman Calls on Harvard to Release Names of Students Supporting Terrorism Against Israel

Bill Ackman, CEO and founder of Pershing Square Capital, visits the floor of the New York
AP Photo/Richard Drew

Billionaire hedge fund manager Bill Ackman is calling on Harvard to release the names of students that are members of groups that signed a pro-terror statement in response to the recent Hamas attacks against Israel, so that employers do not “inadvertently” hire pro-terrorist graduates in the future.

“I have been asked by a number of CEOs if @harvard would release a list of the members of each of the Harvard organizations that have issued the letter assigning sole responsibility for Hamas’ heinous acts to Israel, so as to insure that none of us inadvertently hire any of their members,” Ackman revealed on Tuesday.

Ackman, who has an estimated net worth of $3.6 billion, went on to say, “If, in fact, their members support the letter they have released, the names of the signatories should be made public so their views are publicly known.”

“One should not be able to hide behind a corporate shield when issuing statements supporting the actions of terrorists, who, we now learn, have beheaded babies, among other inconceivably despicable acts,” Ackman added.

Harvard University President-elect Claudine Gay arrives on stage during the 372nd Commencement at Harvard University. (Photo by Craig F. Walker/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

The billionaire was responding to more than 30 student organizations at Harvard that signed onto a joint statement expressing their support for the Iranian-backed terror group Hamas, as well as blaming Israel for the slaughter of its own people by the Palestinian terrorists.

“We hold the Israeli regime entirely responsible for all unfolding violence,” the scores of Harvard student organizations said in their joint statement.

The statement has since received nationwide backlash, with Harvard itself also receiving its fair share of scrutiny for remaining silence in the wake of its students issuing the pro-Hamas, anti-Israel declaration.

To make matters worse, the Ivy League university eventually issued a statement after it was called out for remaining silent in the wake of its students comments — but made no mention of its student groups’ controversial joint statement.

After being slammed for issuing a weak statement, Harvard President Claudine Gay released a follow-up statement in which she distanced the university from its student groups, writing, “while our students have the right to speak for themselves, no student group — not even 30 student groups — speaks for Harvard University or its leadership.”

You can follow Alana Mastrangelo on Facebook and Twitter at @ARmastrangelo, and on Instagram.

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