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June 27, 2008 | 3:10 pm

Israel’s sugar daddy, Sheldon Adelson

Posted by Brad A. Greenberg

“He gives more money to Israel than the U.S. government.”

A friend, who has worked for Sheldon Adelson, the third-richest man in the United States, behind Buffett and Gates, offered that analysis recently. It’s not quite accurate—no one provides more aide to Israel than the United States—but it wasn’t far off either.

Adelson’s Israel-related charity is overwhelming to the point that it could whitewash even the most blemished biography, not to make any implications of Adelson’s. Fifty-five million dollars to birthright israel over the past two years to finance first trips to the Jewish state for tens of thousands of diaspora Jews; $25 million to the Holocaust museum Yad Vashem; $4.5 million for a think tank.

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But Adelson’s reach hasn’t been limited to charity. In fact, some say he uses money to meddle in Israeli politics, pushing a right-wing vision void of a peace process through his connections with American politicians—Bush called the Republican donor “some crazy Jewish billionaire”—and his free daily newspaper, Israel Hayom, which observers criticize as being stuffed with propaganda for Likud leader Benjamin Netanyahu.

At a formal dinner attended by more than a hundred senior officials of various Israeli and Jewish organizations, guests were offered the opportunity to tell Peres what they considered the biggest challenge facing the Jewish people. Adelson, according to Ha’aretz, declared, “I think Jews should have lots of sex. That is the solution to our demographic problem.”

After Adelson addressed the conference, Nahum Barnea wrote in his column in Yedioth Ahronoth, “I saw a gambling tycoon from Las Vegas who bought my country’s birthday with three million dollars. I thought with sorrow: Is the country worth so very little? Were the champagne, wine and sushi that were given out for free in the lobby—breaking convention for such events—worth the humiliation?” Barnea went on:

Adelson is a Jew who loves Israel. Like some other Jews who live at a safe distance from here, his love is great, passionate, smothering. It is important to him that he influences the policies, decisions, and compositions of the Israeli governments. He is not alone in this, either; even back in the days of Baron Rothschild, wealthy Jews from the Diaspora felt that this country lay in their pocket, alongside their wallet. Regrettably, in the latest generation, we are being led by politicians who look at these millionaires with calf’s eyes.

In Israel, where political, academic, and business leaders tend to be outspoken, there is a striking reticence at the mention of Sheldon Adelson. Even people who are diametrically opposed to his politics refuse to be interviewed. “There is a discernible amount of self-censorship going on,” the liberal Israeli-American writer Bernard Avishai said. “There is no ideological justification for what Sheldon is doing among the Israeli intelligentsia—and a revulsion at an American weighing in so heavily on Israeli politics, in such a crude, reactionary way. But they won’t speak.”

These details come from Connie Bruck’s masterful and revealing profile of Adelson for this week’s New Yorker. It’s been getting a lot of buzz for its insight into the mindset of a right-wing American Jew whose love for Israel spans from his Lithuanian father too poor to set foot there to his sabra wife. But what really shocked me was a portion a little closer to home for Adelson, whose non-union Venetian was in 1999 being picketed by the Culinary Union:

Las Vegas’s Temple Beth Sholom was holding a dinner to fête the new mayor of Las Vegas, Oscar Goodman. Adelson, a member of Beth Sholom, had recently pledged two hundred and fifty thousand dollars to the temple’s new-building fund. The dinner was to be held at the Venetian, but Mayor Goodman said that he would not cross the picket line, and synagogue officials decided to go elsewhere. Adelson excoriated Beth Sholom’s rabbi, Felipe Goodman. Rabbi Goodman told the Review-Journal that Adelson had been “so verbally abusive. I was very upset because no one had ever talked to me like he talked to me.” After the dinner took place at the Four Seasons, Adelson withdrew his pledge to Beth Sholom. He gave large sums to the local Chabad, a branch of the Hasidic Chabad-Lubavitchers, for the construction of a new center.

Yeah, that’s mature.

Clearly, Adelson does a ton for Israel and world Jewry, but at what cost? Or, to turn an old question on its head (and possibly incite a nasty response from Team Adelson): Is Sheldon Adelson good for the Jews?

13 Comments — Leave your comment

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Sheldon Adelson is a wonderful and kind hearted man. He recently flew injured vets from Walter Reed Hospital to his hotel to celebrate the Memorial Day weekend. Furthermore, he has helped a great deal of Jewish causes. Sheldon Adelson has also devoted billions through his Adelson Medical Research Foundation which pursues medical research. What more can you ask?

Comment by Jay on 6/28/08 at 11:44 pm

If we wish to find negativity in people we will, but after all is said and done their is no denying that this man is a giver.
No one person is perfect in their ways so we should look at their positive traits. He does what he does the way he knows how, but he does it!!!

Comment by Bernardo on 6/29/08 at 6:47 am

Michael and the seven Prophecies,

The seven prophecies of St Michael as recorded by the Lord’s Templar Knights other wise know as Knights of Gods Templar (Knights Templar)

The First two prophecies that St Michael wrote about? was the two current conflicts, the wars in
Iraqi and Afghanistan also within the first two of these prophecies he said that in the year 2007


The name of the Lords Templar would be cleared of all false charger against them, which came true in the year 2007, when the Vatican realest secret documents confirming there innocents

He also wrote about the deaths of a princess and her prince, in the year 2007 by dark forces close to her and him which also came true (Dianna and Dodi)

The third prophecies to come true was that gods face would appear in the heavenly clouds in the year 2008 and all that have faith in his father would see this sign?
which also came true in July 2008 Gods face did appear in the clouds above

That’s 3 out of the 7 that have come true which leads me the believe that other 5 prophecies will also come true?  As it was so written so shall it be done


If you go to eBay and type in “Gods Face 2008”,
and if you are one of the chosen ones, you’ll see Gods face the third prophecy to come true

And now the four prophecy which is said that St Michael will retune to lead Gods faithful to the light of God.

Comment by Marcurs Woods on 6/29/08 at 7:21 am

A giver?  What has he given?  Feeding people’s addictions in order to line his own pocket & then pretending that his life’s work is to make people feel better?  Spare me.  Read Connie Bruck’s profile before you judge him a prince among men.  He’s more like a demon pretending to be a human being.  This is not a nice man.  Perhaps he’s a man who understands the sweeping gesture.  But he has his own political agenda & it’s a mean, vicious one for anyone who doesn’t share his politics.

Comment by Richard Silverstein on 6/29/08 at 10:21 pm

I have spent the last twenty year in the research of prophecies, and the prophecy the Angles retune was one of them,
(St Michael)  I now truly believe that St Michael has retuned in the body of man as it was written in the seven prophecies by St Michael

That he would once more be sent down form the havens by God to guide all those that have faith in his fathers there farther words,

That Michael would stand in Gods name to gather Gods Army of Angles to fight one last battle with the dark forces as they did when Jerusalem fell by Gods will,
and only those that where saved where those lead by St Michael which history confirms? Michael did defend all those within Jerusalem and did lead all those from Jerusalem that where blessed by God though Michael,

Michael stayed the defender of the weak and faithful of our Lord God,
and the only true order of the Templar that survived the fall of Jerusalem,
was the order that become know as the Order of St Michael? and the leader of the order today is, Sir Michael Black-Feather who I believe has been sent by God to gather up the Lord Armies

Comment by Marcurs Woods on 6/30/08 at 1:09 am

Israel’s sugar daddy, Sheldon Adelson
“He gives more money to Israel than the U.S.gove vernment.”

Maybe he should give some of this money that God has bless him with to the cause that is trying to save his world,

Because it won’t really matter how much money you have if the world is destroyed by mans wicked ways, ?

” God gave us free will? so will Sheldon Adelson join in the ranks and become one of Gods Angels and put his blessing to use with them the Order of St Michael,
or will the dark ones fill his greed?, or will he fight with the Templar against the Dark Forces? and “not” let his money be his route to his evils
or will he use it to help mankind’s redemptions

Comment by Marcurs Woods on 6/30/08 at 1:31 am

Of course Shelly’s interests do not coincide with that of the average Israeli. Simply put, peace is a non-starter for American Jews for whom an Israel at war is and has been the entre to corridors of power and influence, and have placed them at the the top of the american political ziggurat. I suggest, that there is a concerted effort by an American Jewish propaganda machine that is hell bent on depicting the State of Israel as one settler-loving, palestinian-hating, monolith. Given whats in the balance, this is understandable. An Israel that is at peace with it’s neighbors, an Israel that is reconciled to the reality of a two-state solution, an Israel that is committed to social justice for all of its citizens, an Israel not torn apart by social dysfunction, is simply not in the interests of American Jews, either from the left or the right side of the political spectrum. Without an Israel on a perpetual war-footing, without an Israel as a supplicant client state, without an Israel that is willing to subordinate its own interests to that of the United States, without the perception that it is necessary for American Jews to intercede with the American government on Israel’s behalf, (American Jews become a political non-entity (much as they were prior to June 1967), with the attendant loss of power and influence that would entail. In short, American Jewish support has nothing to do with Israel’s welfare, it has to do with its own.

Comment by Shoded Yam on 6/30/08 at 10:12 am

The combo “But Adelson’s reach hasn’t been limited to charity. In fact, some say . . .” is weak. Further, someone like Adelson could care less what some sour-grapes mongers say. Yet further, if the story is meddling with internal Israeli politics and policies,  Nahum Barnea could investigate with profit the foreign-funded Osloids, ‘Peace Now (Defeat Tomorrow)’, Meretz and ISM-niks, the foreign anti-Zionist movements and NGO’s, even those with pseudo-Jewish fronts, the foreign-funded election frauds and corruption that keep the correct-wing powerless, the traitorous Arab Knesset members and their support; all that makes Adelson’s support a drop in the bucket.

Comment by Ben Plonie on 6/30/08 at 8:52 pm

Maybe to save his soul he should give some help to St Michael’s church in England which seem to me the only church in the world that is trying to put an end to all the conflict that are currently going on in the world God know they could do with some financial help it must be the poorest church I have every seen all of its money goes toward peace not war? so if anyone has the era of Israel’s sugar daddy, Sheldon Adelson maybe he could put a couple of buck there way and ask Michael to say a pray and he would be forgive any wrong doings? ps after all it dose not matter how much cash you have you won’t be taking it with you?
so why not really do some thing nice if you have been blessed not to have to worry about money

Comment by Marcurs Woods on 7/12/08 at 9:38 am

Is Sheldon Adelson good for the Jews? The Jewish comunity certainly have no problem accepting his money for the various ventures he funds, but that still doesn’t give him a right to influence the politics of the country unless its in the Pursuit of Peace between the Jews and Palestinians.

Comment by Chloe Luton on 8/27/09 at 11:39 am

Of course it gives him the right to influence politics. Didn’t you read my last post? The whole left wing in Israel is funded by foreign governments and NGO’s and promoted by foreign press and other media. Why should that kind of thing be one-sided? Peace Now is not a grass-roots movement.

That said, strengthening Israel is indeed the best hope for a lasting peace between Jews and Arabs.

Comment by Ben Plonie on 8/27/09 at 11:00 pm

This guy is a worthless POS that has no soul no campassion for others and I hope he rots in HELL.

Comment by Edwin Jewell on 1/16/10 at 1:30 pm

The parentage of this cuddly little package is also interesting.  Eli Clifton notes that the group was first promoted during a Campbell Brown CNN interview with Noah Pollak, the group’s executive director.  Brown is married to Dan Senor, a senior Bush apparatchik and likely major player in 2012 Republican election campaigns…
<a >Nissan Xterra Supercharger</a>

Comment by Nissan Xterra Supercharger on 8/26/10 at 5:12 am

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