Fascinating interview of Sheldon Adelson on the Forward blog, by Jacob Berkman, in which the richest Jew in the world, as the casino king puts it, brags about supporting a foreign military, Israel’s:
…We built a helicopter pilots training school at one of the air bases. We built a ready room at another air base in conjunction with other philanthropists. We built a large recreation room with a gym and everything at another air base. We are one of the biggest supporters of the Air Force Center in Herzliyah. The list goes on and on. And all of these things are good. But you know they don’t take large amounts of money.
Oh I know: dual loyalty is not a real issue! Adelson also brags of taking 146 congressmen to Israel:
My wife and I took through AIPAC 146 congressmen and senators to Israel over the last 15 to 18 years. So we have done a lot and we continue to do a lot.
But more important than taking politicians to Israel is taking Jewish kids to Israel: so that they marry Jews. Adelson is the biggest funder of birthright, the program to take Jewish people under 26 to Israel for a free trip.
The most important one that we do is Birthright Israel. The study by Brandeis just came out to show that the rate of intermarriage here is 58 percent. Only 42 percent of the American Jews married within the Jewish religion. Today about 76 percent [of Birthright alumni who have tied the knot married] within the religion. … How much more can one contribute to Jewish continuity?
I don’t think there is any better program in my lifetime or since the State of Israel was founded than Birthright. I haven’t talked to a kid that came back that didn’t say the four words: “It changed my life.”
It is a reminder of one of the primary motivators of the Israel lobby and Zionism: the Jews over there in Israel are better Jews than we are because they don’t marry out and we do. They are preserving Jewishness, which means fighting people. So let’s fund the heck out of their military! Of course in the next generation, young American Jews are wondering if they have to go through life like this, feeling that they’re bad Jews for wanting to date non-Jews or for questioning Israel’s militarism.
Israel isn’t grateful – they’re planning to pass a law that furriners can’t own Israeli newspapers, just to keep out Adelson.
I thought, btw, that he had lost about 1/3 of his wealth in the crash.
It might be closer to 90%. The total losses to the corporations involved in the casino business likely exceed his total net worth but he may have held some of his assets in other instruments. Let us hope that the creditors do not let him escape with any control over the casino end of his holdings.
Well, yes, they are using Adelson as their case in point, a foreigner (USA Jewish American) influencing the Israeli public via the Israeli media; but the Knesset’s real fear
is an Arab moneybags foreigner might do the same thing:
link to coteret.com
” A large group of
KnessetMembers of the US Congress is seeking, through new legislation, to restrict control of theIsraeliAmerican media by people who live abroad. The bill calls to ban people who are either not citizens or residents exclusivelyofIsraelthe US to receive a license to own a newspaper.”wake me when it happens.
Goodbye Rupert Murdoch!
Sheldon Adelson said:
“My wife and I took through AIPAC 146 congressmen and senators to Israel….”
Just how is it exactly that 146 congressmen and senators have no trouble rubbing shoulders with this guy, when I seriously doubt that you could find one congressperson who would agree to come within 5 miles of any Christian (much less accept donations from same) who was known for publicly working against Christians marrying jews or even other non-Christians? Indeed, does anyone doubt that many jewish groups and commentators would be among the first to cry foul at this?
So what exactly is the rationale for this particular double standard? I can understand some others when it comes to jewish affairs, and in fact I can even agree with some, but not this one.
The rationale, I’m sorry to say rather bluntly, is: if you criticize anything that AIPAC stands for, the ADL flanks you and labels you an anti-Semite. So AIPAC pretty much gets exactly what they want with very few people being able to voice any objection.
As an American citizen, I guess the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment is only binding here in the USA; the principle behind it does not extend legally to a foreign state, in the sense that the US government could not enforce it there. The morality of funding a foreign government that privileges a particular religion is left to the American citizen. Adelson essentially says Jewish “continuity” worldwide trumps the American constitutional principle requiring no government support of any particular religion, a principle our founders thought based on “natural law.”
Of course, what exactly does “Jewish continuity” amount to since a Jew may be
a Jew and be totally secular , agnostic, or an atheist (as many Jews are both here and abroad, including in Israel)?
And what exactly is “natural law?”
Christianity is a pure religion, as is Islam. No race, ethnicity, nationality or tribal
requirements or indicia are ever required. Nothing depends on who your ancestors are, were. OTH, some rabbis are relatively lenient and make it relatively easy to
convert to Judaism–relatively easy compared to the rabbis who put every roadblock one can imagine in front of one who wants to convert to Judaism–lots of
insider Jewish jokes about that policy. Interestingly, in ancient times, some Jewish
historians and religious leaders claim that Judaism was once filled with adherents
who peddled their religion to anyone on the road who would stop and listen.
Citizen, don’t I recall your saying you are an attorney? If so, you surely know that the US consitution — specifically the establishment clause — only applies as a constraint against the US government organizing itself as a religious state. It has nothing at all to do with the US government as a secular state recognizing, canoodling with, or otherwise getting in bed with any religious state.
As far as your claim that Judaism was at one point a proselytizing religion, no doubt about it–at least during Roman times.
“I can understand some others when it comes to jewish affairs…”
Are you being deliberately obtuse? How many times do I have to tell you, anybody who has the chutzpah to declare themselves “king of the Jews” can have the position. Who ever’s got the biggest shofar wins.
C’mon, Sin, do you think Jews can’t learn from Gentiles? Who made Oral Roberts or Billy Graham or any one of a thousand gospel grifters King of the Christians?
LOL. Gospel grifters–so true. Maybe this was the key grifter:
link to en.wikipedia.org
I don’t really find much objection to his statements. He is lobbying, supporting projects in Israel and getting Jewish kids connected to their roots. Doesn’t seem so bad to me… Am I missing something?
Is he supporting projects in Israel? Or in the illegal settlements in the West Bank? Or Golan Heights, for that matter?
From the article it looks like he is supporting projects in Israel
Than you must be rather ignorant BDSNOW, because the Birthright sends people right to settlements which are illegal, or proceeds to call them sacrosanct. The support Adelson also gives to the militarism is just used to oppress Palestinians or Israel’s neighbors. The institutes he supports do nothing but prop up the worst racist right wing tendencies, and the media he owns is nothing short of fascist. I do not give a shit how much money the man has, he is a horses ass of the worst sort.
I went on birthright and we didn’t go to any settlements.
BSDNOW: I don’t really find much objection to his statements. He is lobbying, supporting projects in Israel and getting Jewish kids connected to their roots. Doesn’t seem so bad to me… Am I missing something? and I went on birthright
Now you’ve really piqued my cuiosity. Does the name you have chosen for yourself on this forum mean that you support (demand!) boycott divestment and sanctions against Israel, or does your “BSD” mean something else, and if so, what? Thanks.
I had to say something off Shmuel to get this little fellow (BDSNOW) a bit out into the open, he always poses as the effulgence of ignorance in regard to these issues. At Birthright they always portray the settlements as “growth” in Israel although the itinerary may not usually include settlement visits, it depends on the affiliation of the visit. It may not have been “your” experience but that is not universally true. Later many graduate to settlements –
BIRTHRIGHT GRADUATES
If they do not becomes settlers themselves they later become staunch supporters. As an example Mayanot Israel for college credits and Birthright in relation to settlement “studies.” As an example, if you look at the study courses and the videos of Birthright Israel Mayanot you will see flashes of the settlements in the videos, mixing with a number of IDF forces and bases, visits to settlement businesses, a varied assortment. This is just one among many other affiliations which work through Birthright.
VIDEOS BIRTHRIGHT ISRAEL MAYANOT
I could go on, but this is just another example of varied experience of the “visits.”
Thanks, VR. It is precisely the contradiction between BSD’s apparent ignorance and the militant conviction expressed in the name he (she?) has chosen (assuming that BSD = BDS) that mkes me wonder. Maybe BSD actually stands for “Bibi Save the Day” or “Bring monoweisS Down” ;-)
I do this quite a bit Shmuel, purposefully change names and handles. As an example I call carnas – carnass, etc., and just reverse the letters BSD to BDS to be just as nasty. Maybe I will stop it some day, but not right now…lol
You’re focusing to much on the name. :) His screen name is about as relevant to the conversation as mine is. Click on the link he embedded in it, and also check this out:
link to en.wikipedia.org
As far as I can tell, it’s just a Computer Science reference.
You’re right, Chaos. Didn’t notice the embedded link. Now, where did I put those anti-paranoia meds …
Chaos, here again is the recent interview with Adelson, which displays his mindset in every response to every question (and the mindset of the interviewer in terms of
the lack of follow-up by him); in the interview Adelson names many of the projects
he supports, has supported:
link to blogs.jta.org
Adelson does not mention direct funding of the settlements, hence this sub-thread
here about what Birthright covers–as Phil says in his headline, that’s Adelson’s
largest concern and absorb the largest sum of his funding in his Israel projects.
The Birthright website lists a visit to a settlement on their Sample Itinerary. This implies two that not all Birthright trips have the same itinerary, and that settlements are on at least some. You were apparently on one that didn’t. BTW, I hit the You can also see our itineraries here link and it sent me to another website which was flagged by my security.
Reported Attack Site!
This web site at www.israelonthehouse.com has been reported as an attack site and has been blocked based on your security preferences.
Attack sites try to install programs that steal private information, use your computer to attack others, or damage your system.
Some attack sites intentionally distribute harmful software, but many are compromised without the knowledge or permission of their owners.
These Zionist Jews are curse upon Judaism as a religion. These atheist thugs keep pushing the idea that Judaism is a race and noot one of the three Abrahamic monotheist religions – with many things in common in religion and Jews in history, particularly.
Religious discrimination or outright racism!
link to rehmat1.wordpress.com
Phil,
Its a valid choice to marry a Jew, to decide to, to limit your choices to Jews.
If its not a choice that you made, wonderful.
Adelson obviously feels it is important and he is putting his money where his mouth is, in the sense of actually doing something.
That sounds like tacit support for Adelson’s ideology of racial “purity,” Witty.
It’s also a “valid”–that is legally enforceable– choice to limit yourself to non-Jewish whites. But if you publicize your personal preference and recommend it in the USA or any European
country, you are ostracized by government leaders and the MSM as a clear racist.
You will also be subject to the full mighty array of every political, governmental, judicial and economic sanction available by both governmental and private enterprise to limit the spread of your
personal preference as to who is worthy of marriage to your kind.
“Valid” implies Law, and Law is always based on political policy, both as judicially ad legislatively worded
and as actually applied.
So, Phil, you’re optimistic that
a. Americans will not awaken to the way it has been negatively impacted by Israel and the Israeli military that Adelson has supersized; and/or
b. if Americans DO awaken to Israel’s negative impact on American culture and financial and moral standing in the world, that they won’t take revenge on American Jews as an outcome of that awakening (Jacob Heilbrunn wrote that neocons acted as they did (against US interests) in part out of revenge for US failure to aid Jews in Holocaust link to amazon.com
Edward Kritzler included the revenge motive in the title of his book, link to amazon.com
: ”
Jewish Pirates of the Caribbean: How a Generation of Swashbuckling Jews Carved Out an Empire in the New World in Their Quest for Treasure, Religious Freedom–and Revenge “).
Maybe your gambling that Americans won’t stoop to motives of revenge?
c. You’re optimistic that a “next generation of young American Jews” will live so comfortably in what remains of the US that their largest worry will be whether they’re “bad Jews” for wanting to date non-Jews;
d. You’re optimistic that in an awakened America, “the next generation of young Jews” will not be the equivalent of a young German in post-WWII Germany?
Maybe it’s willful ignorance, but I try not to think about what the consequences are going to be when the bubble burts. Or rather, at this point I care more about what the consequences will be to the rest of the world. I’ve been so abused in the US for trying to do the right thing that at this point, I only care about the places I can reach with my own hands and voice (i.e. the neighborhood and city I’ve lived most of my life) and then I want to move away from the US.
I’ve lost any sort of drive to try to preserve a United States I’m not even convinced anymore existed in the first place, and I’ve learned that I can’t dissipate the American drive to hate someone and designate whole peoples as “the enemy.” If I can keep the current targets of this alive until Sauron’s proverbial eye moves elsewhere (and sadly, you might not be wrong at all in your prediction) I no longer consider it my problem. I’m only human and I only have so many resources at my command, and the neoconservatives have only themselves to blame for the whirlwind they’d reap (and the collateral damge it has and will cause)
Interesting post, Psychopathic god. I don’t know what will happen in the future, but there is resentment towards American Jews, and what they have helped build in Israel at the expense of the rest of America.
I believe that average Americans are awake to what is happening to their country in regards to Jewish/Zionist influence, but most are too comfortable or afraid to do much. It’s a similar situation to immigration, where most Americans understand that their nation and culture are being purposely changed in order to weaken the ties to the past, but acting against the situation makes the actor the villian, and possibly a criminal.
I believe that most people instinctually understand that there is animosity from the Jewish community towards the white Christian community of the traditional majority. It’s just too obvious to not see! I would even say that it can be taken for granted that there is revenge seeking for the holocaust, among other issues, on the part of many Jews.
Israel and the holocaust aren’t the only issue of contention between Jews and traditional Americans. Generations of opposing traditional norms to supporting Israel and immigration are obvious positions that have been popular among American Jews. The problem is that too many people seem to believe that average Americans, like average soldiers, operate on the level of a 14 year-old. Being powerless and somewhat polite isn’t the same as being stupid or ignorant. I guess we’ll see what the future brings. And I don’t see demographic change as a cushion.
Also, I don’t imagine that many Americans care about the distinction between Jewish or Zionist, or whether or not there is a definite article in front of the words Jew or Jews, any more than many Jews seem to care about distinguishing between the racism of certain whites, or white racism when guilting the majority into poor poltical or social positions.
“Today about 76 percent [of Birthright alumni who have tied the knot married] within the religion.”
Sure, sure they do. But what about their second marriage? Or their third?
I mean, anybody can marry a Jew the first time. But will they make it a habit?
LOL! This is why I love having you around, Mooser. :)
Oy, this should teach me to open my mouth before I know what I’m talking about! I went and looked up the facts, and apparently, Birthright has anticipated all of these problems. I should have known! Here is the complete program:
“Paticipants must promise, and sign a pledge, that they will only marry Jewish goils. In addition they promise that if their wife doesn’t understand them, they will only commit adultery with other Jewish women, or engage only Jewish prostitutes or male escorts. If incest is engaged in, it must only be with Jewish family members. If divorce seems imminent, they further swear to hire only Jewish marriage counslers and divorce lawyers”
So you see, Birthright has planned for just about anything.
Phh. This whole signing a pledge thing sounds a lot like the whole “abstinence only” thing we have on the Catholic side of the fence. And we all see how well that works out.
Exactly, Chaos, eggs-fuckin-xactly!
And just so you don’t feel so all alone “Chastity Pledges” are real big among the contemporary Protestant denominations, too, along with “Purity Balls” (why, oh why didn’t I have four daughters? Salmonella, Chlorine, Polly Esther and Purity Balls Mooser! How could I leave my little girl’s behind?)
Let’s see, we got a fifty-eight percent outmarriage rate, and my religion is best known for a murderous campaign of land-theft and ethnic cleansing. This is gonna work out good.
This is a great profile of Adelson – link to newyorker.com
Not Mr Nice Guy
I think someone like Adelson could use his money much more creatively –
CREATIVE USE OF MONEY
I consider this to be a mucj better use than what he is doing with his money