Staff Reports
In the rare moments when he’s not busy making money, billionaire hedge fund manager, Bill Ackman, likes to share his thoughts with the world. So, when he got the invite to grace the TED Talks stage in 2024, a few feathers got ruffled. And no, it was not because he said he liked his steak well done.
Three TED fellows, Lucianne Walkowicz, Saeed Taji Farouky, and Ayah Bdeir, decided to stage their dramatic resignation from the organization over Ackman’s invitation. They claim that TED is taking an “anti-Palestinian stance” by featuring the likes of Ackman, who is a vocal supporter of Israel.
So, That's Why 'Ted Talks' Fellows Are Leaving
https://t.co/Ns2F0NPg7Y— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) January 25, 2024
The trio alleged that Ackman has defended Israel’s actions against the Palestinians, going so far as to call it “genocide and ethnic cleansing.” They specifically pointed to a controversial social media post from Ackman, where he questioned criticisms of Israel’s leaflet drops in Gaza, aimed at warning Palestinians of impending attacks. They compared these leaflet drops to tactics used during war – a fair and justifiable measure, not some sinister plot.
But that’s not all, folks. The ex-fellows also slammed TED for not having any Palestinian speakers in their 2024 lineup. However, one might think that maybe TED just didn’t want to enable or echo terrorist sentiments. After all, Israel is certainly not committing any sort of genocide – they are just defending themselves against terrorists.
In the riveting climax of this dramatic saga, the trio went on to accuse TED of taking a “shameful position” and being in cahoots with enablers and supporters of genocide. They dramatically concluded that they refuse to accept such a stance, as if their resignation was going to shake the foundations of TED Talks.
What the resigned trio seems to overlook is that no one really wants to hear from people who support a terrorist organization like Hamas or have a desire to see Israel wiped off the map. So, let’s give a big round of applause to Ackman and TED for not giving in to the whims of those who sympathize with terrorists. And with that, the curtain falls on this act of high-minded theatrics.
