Unwilling to Answer the Question of How They Buy and Control Politicians
At an event organized by the Israeli-American Council, Israeli-American billionaires Miriam Adelson and Haim Saban were asked directly about how they use their financial resources to buy politicians. The answers were evasive.
Miriam Adelson and Haim Saban are top donors to their respective political parties. Adelson donates billions to Republican politicians, and Saban focuses on Democrats, but they both demand the same thing in return: unconditional support for Israel, writes Fria Tider .
When Miriam Adelson was asked at the Israeli-American Council event how she and her late husband Sheldon Adelson had built close ties with politicians at both the state and federal levels, she chose not to answer.
“Am I not allowed to answer? … I want to be honest and there are so many things I don’t want to talk about,” Miriam Adelson replied.
The questioner emphasized that he was not asking for details, but Adelson stood by her decision not to answer.
Haim Saban, a longtime major Democratic Party funder, provided a slightly more detailed response, but emphasized that everything is done within the framework of applicable law.
“I want to be careful how I say this… It’s a system we didn’t create. It’s a system that already exists. It’s a legal system, and we’re just playing within that system. Those who give more have more access, and those who give less have less access—that’s simple math,” Saban said.
Saban has previously explained the purpose of his donations:
“I am a man of one issue, and my issue is Israel.”
His contributions have primarily gone to Democratic candidates. Adelson, in turn, has been one of the largest donors to Republican candidates, particularly Donald Trump.
Trump himself has repeatedly admitted that decisions during his first presidential term were made at the behest of the Adelson family, who donated hundreds of millions of dollars to his campaigns. He has cited, among other things, the relocation of the US embassy in Israel to Jerusalem and the recognition of Israel’s annexation of the Golan Heights as measures close to their hearts.
In October, Trump praised his benefactor in the Israeli parliament, the Knesset. He noted, among other things, that Miriam Adelson refused to answer the question of whether she loves the US or Israel more.
“I embarrass her now, but I once asked her, ‘What do you love most? The United States or Israel?’ She refused to answer. That might mean she loves Israel most,” said a smiling Trump, known for the “America first” slogan.
The American campaign finance and lobbying system allows for extensive private donations and political influence. Critics argue that this effectively gives billionaires control over political decisions, something they argue has become particularly clear under Donald Trump, who makes no secret of the fact that he works for his top funders.