Aussie billionaire James Packer has been the subject of an interesting claim: that he is now an Israeli citizen who lives next door to the Israeli Prime Minister!
James Packer owns a house next to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Tel Aviv, clutched the prime minister’s wife after a speech to the US Congress last month, and was described by one of his business partners this week as “the first non-Jewish Zionist in history”.
But when that business partner, film producer Brett Ratner, told a dinner that his friend Mr Packer, who was in the room, had taken out Israeli citizenship, he seemed to have dropped a secret that would stun Australians and Israelis alike.
James, you are now the first non-Jewish Zionist in history.
“James Packer is not Jewish,” Mr Ratner said at the Beverly Hilton Hotel where he was being honoured by the Anti-Defamation League Entertainment Industry Awards.
“Though he actually recently became an Israeli citizen and happens to live next door to [Israeli prime minister] Benjamin Netanyahu [in Tel Aviv]. James, you are now the first non-Jewish Zionist in history.”
Alas, it does not seem to be true.
Thirty minutes after The Australian Financial Review reported the comments online on Thursday, which were initially published in The Hollywood Reporter, one of Mr Packer’s advisers texted AFR Weekend to deny that one of Australia’s richest men had become a citizen of Israel.
The citizenship claim, which was first published on Wednesday, wasn’t corrected by Mr Packer’s office until reported by the Financial Review website on Thursday. When the article took off on social media, Mr Packer’s adviser denied the citizenship claim.
A spokesman for Mr Packer said: “James is not an Israeli citizen.”
A spokesman for Mr Ratner said: “Brett’s comments were incorrect; Mr Packer is definitely not a citizen of Israel.”
Mr Packer’s decision to buy a house in Israel, and any further ties, have attracted attention because it’s unclear what his business interests are in the Middle East.
Even if it was true, he would hardly be the “the first non-Jewish Zionist in history.”
I should point out these rumors are not coming out of nowhere.
And just last week it was reported Packer had been looking at business opportunities in Israel in the technology sector and purchased a home in Caesarea. The same article goes on to say:
“He has not converted to Judaism, and it’s not clear whether his interest in the country is purely business or whether there is an element of spirituality driving it. What is clear that Packer has developed a deep affection for Israel, both for the people and the place.”
