Daniel Levy
Daniel Levy is a British-Israeli political analyst and former advisor to the Israeli government, known for his involvement in peace negotiations with the Palestinians and his ongoing commentary on Middle East affairs, particularly the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.[1] He served as a senior policy advisor in Prime Minister Ehud Barak's office and participated as an Israeli negotiator in the 2001 Taba summit talks aimed at advancing a two-state resolution.[2] Currently, Levy heads the U.S./Middle East Project, a think tank that promotes Israeli-Palestinian peace through frameworks emphasizing equality under international law and addressing regional power dynamics.[3] Levy's career spans government service, think tanks, and media analysis; prior to his current role, he directed the Middle East and North Africa program at the European Council on Foreign Relations from 2012 to 2016, conducted research for the International Crisis Group, and co-edited Foreign Policy magazine's Middle East Channel.[1] His analyses often highlight the failure of post-Oslo processes to curb Israeli settlement growth in the West Bank, which he argues eroded Palestinian trust and perpetuated occupation dynamics rather than yielding sustainable peace. Levy has also critiqued Israel's governance over Palestinians as resembling apartheid in practice, a view he expressed in public forums drawing on his negotiation experience, though such characterizations remain contested amid broader debates over legal and security contexts.[4] These positions, informed by his insider perspective, position him as a bridge between Israeli policy circles and international advocacy for conflict resolution, frequently contributing to outlets like the Carnegie Endowment and testifying before bodies such as the UN Security Council.[5]Arts and Entertainment
Film, Television, and Comedy
Daniel Levy, a Canadian actor, writer, producer, and director, began his entertainment career hosting MTV Live on MTV Canada from 2007 to 2009, where he interviewed celebrities and covered music events.[6] He later co-hosted and co-produced the after-show The After After Party (2011-2012), discussing episodes of The Real Housewives of Toronto, which honed his skills in comedic commentary and production.[6] Levy achieved international recognition as co-creator, co-writer, executive producer, and star of the sitcom Schitt's Creek, which premiered on CBC Television on January 7, 2015, and ran for 80 episodes over six seasons until its finale on April 7, 2020. In the series, co-created with his father Eugene Levy, he portrayed David Rose, the pansexual eldest son of a disgraced family relocated to a small town they once bought as a joke, blending fish-out-of-water humor with family dynamics.[7] The show was distributed in the U.S. by Pop TV starting in 2015 and gained broader acclaim after Netflix added it in 2017, leading to a surge in viewership. For the final season, Levy directed four episodes, including the series finale "Happy Ending," and contributed to writing 49 episodes overall.[8] At the 72nd Primetime Emmy Awards on September 20, 2020, he won four awards: Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for David Rose, Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series for "Happy Ending," Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series for "Happy Ending," and shared credit for Outstanding Comedy Series as executive producer. These wins marked Schitt's Creek as the first comedy to sweep major series, acting, writing, and directing categories in a single year. Post-Schitt's Creek, Levy transitioned to film with Good Grief (2023), a Netflix drama he wrote, directed, and starred in as Marc Dreyfus, a writer coping with his husband's death alongside friends in Paris; the film was released on December 8, 2023. He has appeared in supporting roles, voicing Joel in The Smurfs Movie (2025), playing Andy Warhol in Unfrosted (2024), and guest-starring as Abe Zeckelman in *Curb Your Enthusiasm* (2024).[8] Levy also directed and produced comedic shorts and advertisements, such as the Loewe campaign "Decades of Confusion" (2023).[8] Another individual named Dan Levy, an American writer and producer, contributed to television comedies including writing for Whitney (2011-2013, 18 episodes) and producing The Awesomes (2013-2015), Mulaney (2014-2015), and The Hustle (2020). His work focused on script development for sitcoms rather than on-screen performance.Music and Performance
Daniel Levy is an Argentine classical pianist specializing in Romantic composers such as Schumann, Brahms, and Liszt.[9] Born in Buenos Aires, he trained under piano teachers Vincenzo Scaramuzza and Ana Gelber.[9] Levy received a Rocca Foundation scholarship to study in Italy with Sergio Lorenzi and Maria Tipo.[10] Early in his career, Levy won the Jeunesses Musicales and Mozarteum international piano competitions.[10] [9] He has performed solo recitals, chamber music, and concertos in venues including the Royal Festival Hall in London, Teatro La Fenice in Venice, Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires, Conservatoire de Genève, and Salle Gaveau in Paris.[9] Collaborations include appearances with baritone Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, the Philharmonia Orchestra, Prague Symphony Orchestra, and Berlin Philharmonic Quartet.[9] Levy's discography exceeds 60 recordings, encompassing works by Bach, Piazzolla, Brahms's Piano Concerto No. 1, Liszt's transcriptions of Wagner, Schubert sonatas, and acclaimed interpretations of Schumann.[11] [9] Specialized releases feature "The Seven Tones of Balance and Musical Ecology of the Mind" (an 8-CD set) and "COMPASSION."[11] His performances emphasize philosophical dimensions of music, informed by studies in listening and consciousness, though primarily executed through traditional concert formats.[11] In addition to performing, Levy serves on competition juries, such as the 66th International Piano Competition "Prize Jaén" held April 24 to May 3, 2025.[12] His approach integrates Pythagorean principles of harmony, influencing both stage interpretations and educational outreach on musical listening.[11]Sports
Executives and Administrators
Daniel Levy served as executive chairman of Tottenham Hotspur Football Club from March 2001 until September 4, 2025, overseeing the club's operations during a period of significant commercial and infrastructural expansion.[13][14] Appointed to the board in December 2000 as part of a consortium led by ENIC Sports Investments, Levy played a key role in negotiating the takeover from previous owner Alan Sugar, establishing ENIC's controlling stake in the club.[15] Under his leadership, Tottenham relocated to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in 2019, a £1.2 billion project that included multi-purpose facilities for NFL games and concerts, enhancing the club's revenue streams beyond matchday income.[16] As managing director of ENIC Group—a sports, entertainment, and media investment entity—since 1995, Levy directed the firm's broader portfolio, which extended to stakes in other football-related ventures and leveraged Tottenham as a flagship asset.[15] ENIC, under Levy's stewardship, maintained an 86.58% ownership in Tottenham as of 2025, with Levy personally holding 29.88% of ENIC shares, contributing to his reported annual remuneration exceeding £6 million at its peak as one of the Premier League's highest-paid executives.[17] His tenure emphasized financial prudence, including record-breaking transfer deals such as the £65 million sale of Harry Kane to Bayern Munich in 2023, which prioritized club sustainability amid competitive pressures.[13] Levy's administrative approach earned recognition for negotiation acumen, exemplified by securing lucrative sponsorships like the £400 million Nike kit deal in 2013 and the £20 million-per-year AIA shirt sponsorship renewal.[16] However, his exit in September 2025 followed ENIC's strategic review amid ownership discussions, with Peter Charrington appointed as non-executive chairman; Levy retained ENIC shares but ceased direct club involvement.[18][14] Prior to Tottenham, Levy's early career included roles in property and investment through family businesses and the Tavistock Group, building expertise in deal-making that informed his sports administration.[13]Athletes
Moshe Daniel Levy, commonly referred to as Daniel Levy, was an Israeli basketball player active in the early 1950s.[19][20] He represented Israel at the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki, where the men's national team debuted internationally and finished 20th out of 23 participating nations.[19][21] Levy appeared in the Olympic tournament, contributing to Israel's efforts in preliminary round losses against teams including the United States and Soviet Union.[20] FIBA records indicate he averaged 5.0 points per game across the competition.[20] He remained part of the national team roster through 1954, playing in additional international fixtures during that period.[19] At the club level, Levy began his career with Hapoel Tel Aviv, a prominent Israeli team, where he honed his skills in domestic leagues before and alongside his national team commitments.[19] His Olympic participation marked one of Israel's early forays into elite international basketball, reflecting the sport's growing presence in the country post-independence.[21]Politics, Diplomacy, and International Relations
Negotiators and Analysts
Daniel Levy participated in the Oslo II negotiations as an Israeli peace negotiator under Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin in 1995, focusing on interim agreements between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization. He later served in the Taba talks in January 2001 under Prime Minister Ehud Barak, where Israeli and Palestinian teams discussed final-status issues including borders, refugees, and Jerusalem amid efforts to revive peace momentum before Israel's elections.[2] These roles positioned Levy as a firsthand participant in bilateral diplomacy aimed at resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through phased territorial and governance arrangements.[22] Transitioning from government service, Levy contributed to analytical work on Middle East policy, serving as an analyst for the International Crisis Group and as a founding editor of the Middle East Channel at Foreign Policy magazine, where he examined conflict dynamics and negotiation strategies.[23] From 2012 to 2016, he directed the Middle East and North Africa program at the European Council on Foreign Relations, producing reports and commentary on regional stability, U.S. foreign policy, and Israeli-Palestinian relations that emphasized multilateral approaches over unilateral actions.[24] As president of the U.S./Middle East Project since at least 2016, Levy leads initiatives promoting Israeli-Palestinian peace grounded in international law, equality, and mutual recognition, including policy briefs critiquing settlement expansion and advocating for renewed diplomacy.[5] In this capacity and through op-eds in publications such as The Guardian, he has analyzed post-Oslo failures, attributing stalled progress to factors like asymmetric power imbalances and domestic political shifts in Israel, while urging accountability for violations of prior accords.[25] His assessments often highlight empirical indicators, such as settlement growth rates exceeding 10% annually in the West Bank during certain periods, as barriers to viable two-state outcomes.[1]Historical Political Figures
Sir Daniel Levy (30 November 1872 – 20 May 1937) was an Australian lawyer and politician of Jewish descent who represented multiple electorates in the New South Wales Legislative Assembly from 1901 until his death, accumulating 36 years of service.[26] [27] Born in London to tailor Joseph Levy and Esther Cohen, he emigrated to Sydney in 1880, where he was educated at Crown Street Public School and Sydney Grammar School before earning a B.A. in 1893 and LL.B. in 1895 from the University of Sydney.[26] Admitted to the bar in 1895, Levy entered politics as a liberal-leaning independent, initially winning the seat of Sydney-Fitzroy in 1901 as a Protectionist.[26] [28] Levy's electoral record included successive terms for Darlinghurst (1904–1920), Sydney (1920–1927), Paddington (1927–1930), and Woollahra (1930–1937), often aligning with progressive or liberal causes while maintaining independence from strict party lines.[26] [27] He first became Speaker of the Legislative Assembly in 1919, serving intermittently for a cumulative 14 years across terms from 1919–1920, 1920–1921, 1921–1925, 1927–1930, and 1932–1937, a tenure marked by efforts to preserve parliamentary impartiality amid factional strife.[26] During political instability in 1920–1921, he resigned briefly as Speaker but returned, facing criticism for reassuming the role under shifting governments; he upheld procedural reforms, including revisions to standing orders in 1922 and 1934 that expedited bill processing.[26] In 1932, under Premier Sir Bertram Stevens, Levy held ministerial office for one month, though his influence stemmed more from the Speakership than executive roles.[26] Beyond the legislature, Levy contributed to public institutions as a trustee of the Public Library of New South Wales (chairman from 1927 to 1937), the Australian Museum, and Sydney Grammar School, as well as a fellow of the University of Sydney Senate from 1913 to 1937.[26] Knighted in 1929 for his parliamentary service, he remained active in Jewish community affairs, having edited the Australasian Hebrew in 1896, served as secretary of the New South Wales Board of Jewish Education (1898–1903), and president of the New South Wales Jewish Association (1902–1903), while regularly attending the Great Synagogue in Sydney.[26] [29] Levy never married and died of cerebro-vascular disease at his Darling Point residence on 20 May 1937, receiving a state funeral before burial in the Jewish section of Rookwood Cemetery.[26] [28] His long tenure as Speaker underscored a commitment to procedural efficiency and non-partisanship in an era of volatile state politics.[26]Business and Academia
Corporate Leaders
Daniel Levy has not held executive positions in for-profit corporations, with his career primarily dedicated to public policy, diplomacy, and think tank leadership rather than business management.[1][30] Prior to his roles in international negotiations and analysis, Levy served in advisory capacities within Israeli political institutions, such as strategic advisor to the Israeli Labor Party, but these were governmental and partisan rather than corporate in nature.[24] His current position as president of the U.S./Middle East Project, a non-profit policy institute founded in 1994, involves directing research and advocacy on regional conflicts, without involvement in commercial enterprise.[5] No records indicate participation on corporate boards or in private sector ventures.[31]Scholars and Researchers
Daniel Levy (sociologist)Daniel Levy is a professor of sociology at Stony Brook University, specializing in political sociology. He earned his PhD from Columbia University. His research examines globalization, collective memory, cosmopolitanism, and the interplay between memory and human rights in contemporary societies.[32][33] Daniel Levy (economist)
Daniel Levy holds the William Gittes Chair in Economics as a professor at Bar-Ilan University in Israel and serves as an adjunct professor of economics at Emory University. He received his PhD in economics from the University of California, Irvine, in 1991. Levy's scholarly contributions span macroeconomics, industrial organization, time-series econometrics, and political economy, with analyses of price rigidity, menu costs, and economic convergence.[34][35][36][37] Daniel C. Levy (higher education researcher)
Daniel C. Levy is a distinguished professor in the Department of Educational Policy and Leadership at the University at Albany, State University of New York. He founded and directs the Program for Research on Private Higher Education (PROPHE), which investigates the worldwide growth, roles, and policy implications of private institutions in higher education systems. Levy's work highlights the expansion of for-profit and nonprofit private sectors, challenging traditional public dominance in postsecondary education across regions like Latin America, Africa, and Asia.[38]