The gambling billionaire, who publishes the pro-Netanyahu “Israel Hayom” tabloid, said he objects to an agreement with any of the current Palestinian leaders
Sheldon Adelson, Israel Hayom publisher (photo: 7th Eye / cc-by-nc-sa)
Unlike the confrontation between the White House and Jerusalem over the settlements during the administration’s first year, I think that the current rift has more to do with tones and personal mistrust than actual policy differences. More than anything, it seems that President Obama’s Middle East speech was meant to help Israel avoid isolation at the UN, but Netanyahu overreacted, and later decided to play tough, mainly for political reasons. As I wrote yesterday, it worked out for him quite well.
What do people around the prime minister really think of Obama? A good example was given just before Netanyahu’s visit to the United States, in a phone interview Jewish Week’s Gary Rosenblatt conducted with Gambling Billionaire Sheldon Adelson.
Apart from being a personal friend of the Netanyahus, Adelson is the publisher of the pro-Netanyahu tabloid Israel Hayom (“Israel Today”), currently the most widely read paper in Israel (speculations held that the paper was started by Adelson to help Netanyahu personally). Many of Netanyahu’s men were on Adelson’s payroll until recently: The head of the Prime Minister’s Office, Nathan Eshel, was a deputy manager at Israel Hayom before joining the Neyanyahu campaign; former National Security Advisor Uzi Arad was part of the Adelson Institute for Strategic Research; the current NSA, Yaakov Amidror, was a pundit for Israel Hayom; the ambassador to the United States, Michael Oren, was a fellow at Adelson’s conservative think-tank, the Shalem Center.
And what does Adelson think of Obama? Here it goes:
Any of the Republican hopefuls “are going to be 180 degrees” different from President Obama in terms of “what’s good for this country and for Israel,” Adelson said, adding that Obama is “the worst president” for Israel.
“All the steps he’s taken against the state of Israel are liable to bring about the destruction of the state,” he asserted.
Like Netanyahu, Adelson will praise peace, but object to the international community’s definition of the two-state solution:
“Can you make peace with people whose sole mission is to destroy you?” he asked. “You don’t have someone who wants to make peace with you.”
He said that for the Palestinian leadership, “the two-state solution is a stepping stone for the destruction of Israel and the Jewish people,” and he sees no distinction between Hamas, the terror group that controls Gaza, and the Palestinian Authority, headed by President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Salam Fayyad.
“They sat with [PLO leader Yassir] Arafat for 40 years,” Adelson said of Abbas and Fayyad. “When he was planning terror, did they recuse themselves and leave the room?”
He said he saw no chance for peace as long as Palestinian children from the age of 3 are taught that “a Jew is a swine and ape” and should be killed.
“I favor peace,” he said, “but to be pro-Israel you also need to have a position vis a vis Israel’s enemies. And no reasonable person would make Israel sign with people pledged to destroy them.”
(h/t rotter.net)
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richard Allen
Why doesn’t George Soros just start a free newspaper here? He certainly has the funds, and at least from my casual observation, people mostly read Yisrael haYom because it’s free.
ARTH
There is no difference between Obama’s policy and any other president before him.
Ex Israeli
Is it a sign of some kind of past brain surgery or is it just a bad pic?
avi
Thank g-d for Shaldon Adelson!
Shoded Yam
“…Thank g-d for Shaldon Adelson!”
.
Funny. Thats excatly what you hear whenever some compulsive gambling, Marlboro chain-smoking alte kocker wins $20.00 out of one the slot machines in shelly’s casino. Clearly, Israel has become a regular patron, and always comped.
Danny
What a mug this guy has! He reminds me a little of Robert DeNiro’s character in the movie ‘Casino’. Probably not far from reality. Anyway, the fact that he is Bibi’s best friend speaks volumes about our prime minister (tell me who your friends are…) This man, who made a fortune being one of the vice barons in the U.S. (gambling, prostitution, booze and the like) is the number one benefactor of our dear Bibi and the protector of Israel from all things Democrat/Obama. Nice, very nice. I guess in Israel money never stinks, even when it is so dirty you can practically smell the laundry detergent on it.
max
this comment was edited. refrain from personal attacks or your comments will be removed
Danny please tell us what you know that let’s you claim “the number one benefactor of our dear Bibi” & “vice barons in the U.S. (gambling [granted and legal], prostitution, booze and the like)”
Shoded Yam
While it might be true that the mob no longer controls gambling in Las Vegas, Reno, etc., the same cannot be said of the food and drink concessions, towels and linen service, waste disposal, etc. And while it might be true that shelly himself is not a mobster, he certainly travels in those circles when the demands of business necessitate, which is to say, most of the time. So to catagorize shelly adelson as something distinct from the sea of feces he swims in, would be akin to plucking pepper grains from gnat shit.
dickerson3870
In the photo, Adelson has a Dick Cheney-esque look about him.
P.S. I don’t mean that as a compliment!
Danny
I take back the comment about this guy reminding me of Robert DeNiro; he’s not good-looking enough. I know exactly who this guy reminds me of: Meyer Lansky. Another good friend of the state of Israel who even wanted to do aliya when the feds were on to him. Israel certainly has good friends with bags of cash they’d just love to invest in the Jewish state, who never asks where the money roginates. I guess the it’s true what they say: Birds of a feather flock together.
max
Danny, re Lansky – wouldn’t hurt you to brush off your history, unless your point was that Israel is quite careful when it comes to dirty money.
I take it back – you knew it, that’s why you worded your insinuation so the ignorant may be trapped
Shoded Yam
“…that’s why you worded your insinuation so the ignorant may be trapped”
.
I don’t know about the ignorant, but he certainly got you going pretty good. LOL
Danny
Max my boy, for your information, Meyer Lansky was one of the major arms suppliers to the IDF during the war of 1948. That was why he felt so slighted by Israel when it refused to give him amnesty in the 60′s while he was running away from the feds; of course, Golda would have welcomed him with open arms if not for those pesky Americans who insisted that she refrain from aiding and abetting a known felon. By the way, same reason why Israel threw Pollard to the dogs.
max
Danny, you’re funny
So despite having helped and despite having money, Lansky was not allowed to stay in Israel, and all you can fabricate is a conspiracy theory about Golda and American pressure 
Danny
Israel regularly serves as safe haven to Jewish criminals fleeing the law the world over. Many Russian oligarchs in the last few years suddenly became ‘zionist’ and settled for a number of years in Israel as their criminal cases were being fought in foreign courts. Meyer Lansky was a high-profile criminal whom Israel could not protect, despite the fact that he was friends with many high ranking Israeli officials. Yes, it seems there is a limit even to Israeli chutzpah. Today, Mr. Lansky would probably have been a big donor to the Likud and a personal friend of Bibi and Lieberman.
Jay C.
It is really unfortunate that Mr. Adelson is acting as if he is not 100% American. I can’t blame him for putting his money in China but when he starts trying to affect our domestic elections based upon whether an American candidate “good” or “bad” for another country then he is not 100% American.
stanly simon
hey Danny get a life
I worked for MR Adelson for 10 years in his
business an personal life in all that time this
nan never said dad about anyone. like any one
else he love america first an then then Israel.
when it comes to china like any one he is
taking a shot to invest.I wish I had 10.00
dollars for person who has done the same
and he is no gangster…..