A prominent hedge fund billionaire has declared students protesting Israel have ‘sh*t for brains’ – after thousands descended on his alma mater Wednesday in support of Palestinians.
The pointed comment came from Columbia Business School Grad Leon Cooperman – who also vowed to stop giving to Columbia unless he sees a ‘change.’
Citing how he’s given some $50million to the school over the years, the 80-year-old proceeded to tear into the pro-Palestinian procession, as well as a professor who led the charge by calling this month’s attacks by Hamas ‘awesome.’
During the interview with Fox Business’ Liz Claman, Cooperman, 80, said he’s demanded school brass fire the tenured instructor but has been ignored.
Honing in more on the mob of students, he explained why he believed their support for the Palestinians was wrong, citing the Middle East’s questionable civil rights record.
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Prominent hedge fund billionaire Leon Cooperman on Wednesday declared students protesting Israel have ‘sh*t for brains’ – after thousands descended on his alma mater earlier in the day in support of Palestinians
The interview saw The Columbia grad hone in on the mob of students – pictured on the school’s campus Wednesday afternoon – and explain why he believed their support for the Palestinians was wrong, citing the Middle East’s civil rights record
‘We have one reliable ally in the Middle East – that’s Israel,’ said the chairman and CEO of Omega Advisors, a New York-based investment firm that runs over $3.3 billion in assets.
‘We only have one democracy in the Middle East. That’s Israel,’ he continued. ‘And we have one economy tolerant of different people – gays, lesbians, etc. And that’s Israel.
‘So,’ he proclaimed, ‘I have no idea what these young kids are doing.’
When asked what he thought of what transpired at Columbia earlier in the day – as well as what’s been happening at several other schools across the US – Cooperman simply said: ‘I think these kids at the colleges have sh*t for brains.’
The curt response from the Columbia business grad – who is worth a reported $2.8billion – seemed to take Claman aback, shortly after she cited Cooperman’s Polish-Jewish heritage and the fact that his parents were both immigrants.
While attempting to craft a response, Cooperman interrupted her a second time – before detailing what he called ‘his true shame’ about the situation.
He said: ‘Now, the real shame is I’ve given to Columbia, probably about $50 million over many years.’
He went on to reveal his plans of ceasing any more donations to the Manhattan institution.
‘I’m going to suspend my giving,’ he said, before adding: ‘I’ll give to other organizations.’
Cooperman, the son of two Polish-Jewish immigrants, said: ‘Now, the real shame is I’ve given to Columbia, probably about $50 million over many years… I’m going to suspend my giving. ‘I’ll give to other organizations’
The assertion seemed to leave his interviewer visibly surprised, and spurred her to ask the question again – to which Cooperman again responded affirmatively, saying: ‘Yeah, unless I see a change’
The assertion seemed to leave his interviewer visibly surprised, and spurred her to ask the question again.
‘So, right here right now, you’re saying no more money to Columbia?’ Claman asked.
Cooperman again responded affirmatively, saying: ‘Yeah, unless I see a change.’
At that point, the billionaire turned his attention to the tenured professor said to have led the demonstration, Modern Arab Politics and Intellectual History Joseph Massad – who days ago billed Hamas’ terror attacks and taking of Israeli hostage as ‘awesome’.
A petition calling for his ouster has since been penned, and has garnered more than 45,000 signatures.
It accuses Massad – a Columbia grad himself who started teaching at the school in 1999 – of ‘condoning and supporting terrorism’.
Cooperman, visibly perturbed, said: ‘I told them that they should fire this professor that made the comments he made.’
He continued: ‘I mean, war is hell. War is not good for anybody, but to praise what Hamas did is disgraceful, disgusting.’
The interview continued without incident – as did the peaceful procession in Uptown Manhattan.
When asked what he thought of what transpired at Columbia earlier in the day – as well as what’s been happening at several other schools across the US – Cooperman simply said: ‘I think these kids at the colleges have sh*t for brains’
At that point, the billionaire turned his attention to the tenured professor said to have led the demonstration, Modern Arab Politics and Intellectual History Joseph Massad – who days ago billed Hamas’ terror attacks and taking of Israeli hostage as ‘awesome’
It did, however, force school officials to nix a critical fundraising event for Columbia, which raised nearly $30 million in just 24 hours last year.
The called-off event, Columbia Giving Day, has yet to be given a new date.
The school said in a statement: ‘After careful consideration and consultation with University and alumni leadership, we decided that this is not the appropriate time to move forward with Columbia Giving Day.
‘It is postponed for the time being, and a decision on rescheduling will be made in the near future.’
Columbia President Minouche Shafik, meanwhile, issued his own statement earlier in the month – one that urged members of the school community to avoid language that ‘vilifies, threatens or stereotypes entire groups of people.’
The statement added how this type of speech ‘will not be tolerated’ – and spurred a fiery response from Shai Davidai, an assistant professor at the Columbia Business School.
Given last week, it saw the instructor publicly slam his boss a ‘coward’ for failing to silence ‘pro-terror’ voices at the university.
‘If my amazing two-year-old daughter was now 18 years old, I would never, never, never send her to Columbia,’ Davidai said in front of students.
Meanwhile, similar pro-Palestine processions have continued to sprout up across the country, with universities surfacing as hotspots. As Cooperman was speaking to Fox Wednesday, a group of students were forced to flee a mob of pro-Palestine activists inside Manhattan’s Cooper Union
Also on Wednesday, NYU students were seen holding up ‘keep the world clean’ signs in the heart of Manhattan – in the latest incidence of pro-Palestine sentiment in progressive universities
Pro-Palestine demonstrators gather for a protest at Columbia University earlier this month
Pro-Israel students were seen taking part in a simultaneous protest in support of Israel at the school, showing the simmering tensions at universities across the country
‘Not because it’s not a great institution,’ he continued. ‘It’s an amazing institution. But because I know that she will not be protected there because the president of the university allows pro-terrorists to march on campus.’
Meanwhile, similar pro-Palestine processions have continued to sprout up across the country, with universities surfacing as hotspots.
As Cooperman was speaking to Fox Wednesday, a group of Jewish students were forced to flee a braying mob of pro-Palestine activists inside Manhattan’s Cooper Union, locking themselves in a library while the crowd hammered on the door.
Also on Wednesday, NYU students were seen holding up ‘keep the world clean’ signs in the heart of Manhattan – in the latest incidence of pro-Palestine sentiment in progressive universities.
Meanwhile, the conflict overseas has continued to rage.
Israeli forces including tanks rolled into northern Gaza overnight to carry out targeted raids against ‘terrorist cells’ in preparation for its ground war against Hamas, the IDF said today.
Israel’s Army Radio described the raid as larger than previously carried out during the Gaza war, now in its third week after Hamas murderers slaughtered around 1,500 civilians on October 7.
Meanwhile, the conflict overseas has continued to rage. Also on Wednesday, the IDF said that tanks and infantry struck numerous terrorist cells, infrastructure and anti-tank missile launch posts
The IDF said that tanks and infantry struck numerous terrorist cells, infrastructure and anti-tank missile launch posts. They added that the soldiers have since exited the area and returned to Israeli territory.
It comes after Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last night warned Hamas terrorists they were ‘doomed’ as he vowed to push ahead with a ground invasion of Gaza last night.
The battle-hardened premier said the battle against the gunmen who massacred civilians on October 7 was necessary to ‘save our country’ and the airstrikes on Gaza were only ‘the beginning’.