Adelson Avoids Publicly Backing Netanyahu on Corruption Investigation
Image by getty images
By Nathan Guttman February 12, 2018
For years, Las Vegas casino mogul Sheldon Adelson and his wife Miriam were the greatest U.S.-based supporters of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Adelson even started a free newspaper, Israel Hayom, that became known for its pro-Netanyahu editorial line.
But the ongoing criminal investigations of Netanyahu, one of which relates directly to his relationship with Adelson’s newspaper, may have driven a wedge between the two.
Adelson, who was also questioned by investigators in the case, was given a chance on Monday to publicly express his support for Netanyahu in an interview with Israel’s Army Radio.
But Adelson passed.
“I don’t know anything about it,” Adelson said when asked about the upcoming announcement of whether Netanyahu will be indicted. Pressed on whether he wishes for the Israeli prime minister to emerge without a criminal charge, Adelson replied: “I wish for peace. I wish I could tell my wife what to do and I wish for peace.”
“But do you wish for Benjamin Netanyahu something?” the reported insisted.
“I wish for everybody good things,” Adelson replied.
Adelson’s refusal to back Netanyahu did not go unnoticed. Naftali Bennett, the leader of Israel’s right-wing Jewish Home party and the politician reportedly seen as Adelson’s pick to succeed Netanyahu, said he has “great appreciation” to the Vegas billionaire and noted that Adelson’s daily newspaper has seen a positive shift in its editorial line, presumably away from Netanyahu.
Contact Nathan Guttman at [email protected] or on Twitter @nathanguttman
The Forward is free to read, but it isn’t free to produce
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward.
Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda.
At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse.
This is a great time to support independent Jewish journalism you rely on. Make a Passover gift today!
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO
Dive In
-
Fast Forward Language apps are putting Hebrew school in teens’ back pockets. But do they work?
-
Fast Forward Suspected arsonist intended to beat Gov. Josh Shapiro with a sledgehammer, investigators say
-
Fast Forward Trump administration can deport Mahmoud Khalil for undermining U.S. foreign policy on antisemitism, judge rules
-
Fast Forward Is the Passover Seder Zionist?
Most Popular
- 1
Opinion My Jewish moms group ousted me because I work for J Street. Is this what communal life has come to?
- 2
Fast Forward Suspected arsonist intended to beat Gov. Josh Shapiro with a sledgehammer, investigators say
- 3
Fast Forward How Coke’s Passover recipe sparked an antisemitic conspiracy theory
- 4
Politics Meet America’s potential first Jewish second family: Josh Shapiro, Lori, and their 4 kids
In Case You Missed It
-
Opinion This Nazi-era story shows why Trump won’t fix a terrifying deportation mistake
-
Opinion I operate a small Judaica business. Trump’s tariffs are going to squelch Jewish innovation.
-
Fast Forward Language apps are putting Hebrew school in teens’ back pockets. But do they work?
-
Books How a Jewish boy from Canterbury became a Zulu chieftain
-
Shop the Forward Store
100% of profits support our journalism
Republish This Story
Please read before republishing
We’re happy to make this story available to republish for free, unless it originated with JTA, Haaretz or another publication (as indicated on the article) and as long as you follow our guidelines.
You must comply with the following:
- Credit the Forward
- Retain our pixel
- Preserve our canonical link in Google search
- Add a noindex tag in Google search
See our full guidelines for more information, and this guide for detail about canonical URLs.
To republish, copy the HTML by clicking on the yellow button to the right; it includes our tracking pixel, all paragraph styles and hyperlinks, the author byline and credit to the Forward. It does not include images; to avoid copyright violations, you must add them manually, following our guidelines. Please email us at [email protected], subject line “republish,” with any questions or to let us know what stories you’re picking up.