Leonardo DiCaprio is co-financing a luxury hotel to be built in Israel

Leonardo DiCaprio will be co-financing a new hotel near Tel Aviv, Israel, as part of a new venture that has made headlines due to the country’s ongoing conflict in Gaza.

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The Jerusalem Post reports that the eco-certified resort at Herzliya Marina will consist of 14 floors and 365 rooms, with construction expanding from the original proposed 10,000 square meters in 2018 to its current size of 51,000 square meters. DiCaprio will hold a 10 per cent stake in the project, with the rest divided between The Harag Group and brothers Ahikam and Lior Cohen.

Famous for his vocal support of environmental issues, DiCaprio was announced as leading the resort’s commitment to sustainability, saying in a statement at the time of the project’s launch: “Green environmental development is a significant part of building communities that work in partnership with nature and not against it”.

The move has sparked some controversy online, both due to environmental concerns and the backdrop of Israel’s conflict with Gaza. DiCaprio is currently a United Nations Messenger for Peace, but according to a report by Far Out Magazine he has not spoken on the situation, described by the UN’s Secretary-General António Guterres on July 29 as a “humanitarian catastrophe of epic proportions”.

While Gaza Starves, Leonardo DiCaprio Is Building a 14-Story Luxury Hotel in Israel

Hollywood silence is one thing. But Leonardo DiCaprio is actively profiting from apartheid during a genocide. The hotel was just approved. https://t.co/ko65nlvbat pic.twitter.com/f5owDM7QAe

— Shaun King (@shaunking) July 30, 2025

Author and activist Shaun King took to X (formerly Twitter) to criticise the actor, writing “While Gaza Starves, Leonardo DiCaprio Is Building a 14-Story Luxury Hotel in Israel”, and accusing him of “profiting from apartheid during a genocide”.

The actor is yet to comment on the development, or the criticism he has received.

Aside from property development, DiCaprio is also working on a number of film projects. His new film, Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another, comes to UK cinemas September 26. Elsewhere, he will be reuniting with Martin Scorsese for the action-thriller Carthage Must Be Destroyed.

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