Ari Emanuel Takes Aim at Benjamin Netanyahu Over Terror Attacks in Israel: ‘I Don’t Think This Man Deserves to Be in Power’
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Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel opened Bloomberg Media’s Screentime conference Wednesday evening with a strong condemnation of Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying that he left the country vulnerable to the heinous terrorist attacks that began Oct. 7.
“A morally corrupt Bibi Netanyahu exposed Israel to rape and beheadings of babies, children,” Emanuel said in measured tones after moderator Lucas Shaw, Bloomberg’s managing editor of media and entertainment, asked him for his thoughts on the devastation in Israel. Emanuel has been an outspoken advocate on issues of Jewish identity and antisemitism.
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“I don’t think this man deserves to be in power,” Emanuel said, to strong applause from the crowed gathered at Hollywood’s Nya Studios. He detailed the recent events in Israel and Netanyahu’s battles with the country’s judicial system “to keep himself out of jail,” he said. “It’s time to we get rid of this man.”
The Hamas-led terrorist attacks in Gaza and other areas in the southern part of the country have left more than 1,000 Israelis dead. Emanuel equated the shock of the attacks on sleeping families in their homes, women and children as Israel’s 9/11.
Emanuel blamed Netanyahu’s political and personal problems for creating “a vulneralbity that is unprecedented” for Israel, given the country’s huge investment in security and intelligence services. “This would be like 30,000 Americans dying in 9/11. That’s what happened in Israel.”
Later in the conversation, Emanuel also drew a bead on his longtime rivals at CAA in light of the shocking lawsuit filed against the agency last week by actor Julia Ormand in connection with Harvey Weinstein, who was convicted in New York of sexual assault charges in 2020.
Ormond filed a lawsuit against CAA, saying they put her in harm’s way by sending her to meet with Weinstein and failing to react after she allegedly alerted them to his abusive behavior. Emanuel asserted that there have been other allegations that CAA’s top brass were warned of Weinstein’s behavior during his time as the powerful head of Miramax Films in the 1990s. He accused longtime CAA leaders Bryan Lourd and Kevin Huvane of deciding to “look the other way.”
Emanuel, who is also CEO of the newly created TKO banner that encompasses UFC and WWE, called on Lourd and Huvane to take a leave of absence, and he called on the company to commission an outside investigation. He noted that CAA has been acquired by Artemis, the French holding company that owns the female-focused luxury brand Kering. He even brought up two megastars who are repped by CAA.
“I don’t know where Margot Robbie or Meryl Streep is on this issue. Are they questioning their agents?” Emanuel also suggested that SAG-AFTRA should step in and investigate, and suggested that CAA’s size and industry stature offered them protection. “If it was an agency in the Valley, they would have closed that thing down,” he said.
Representatives for CAA could not immediately be reached for comment. In statement in response to Ormond’s lawsuit, the agency said the actor’s legal representative had sought a $15 million payout to avoid the public filing.
“CAA takes all allegations of sexual assault and abuse seriously, and has compassion for Ms. Ormond and the experience she described in her complaint. However, the claims that Ms. Ormond has levied against the agency are completely without merit,” an agency spokesperson said in a statement to Variety. “Through counsel, Ms. Ormond approached CAA in March with these allegations about the agency. Knowing these allegations to be untrue, the agency then retained attorney Loretta Lynch and her law firm, Paul Weiss, to defend the company. Their review found nothing to support Ms. Ormond’s claims against CAA.”
Emanuel was pressed about the state of labor negotiations with SAG-AFTRA amid industry hopes that production can resume before year’s end. The Endeavor chief was characteristically blunt, urging both sides to “get in a room, lock the door” until a new three-year contract is reached. He urged compromise from both labor and management, with a sharp note for SAG-AFTRA leaders.
“It’s not the last time you’re going to be at the table,” he said. “You’re not winning an Oscar for this negotiation.”
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