Earlier this year the Wall Street Journal said that unnamed “Jewish donors” were warning Obama that his Israel policies were alienating them.
Well now The Hill reports that 67 Wall Street executives who gave to Obama the last time around are moving to Mitt Romney. The Hill cited five executives by name:
Joshua Harris of Apollo Management, who recently bought the Philadelphia 76ers…. Oscar Schafer of OSS Capital Management, David Solomon of Goldman Sachs, Barry Sternlight [sic; his name is Sternlicht] with the Starwood Capital Group and David Blitzer of the Blackstone Group.
The Hill cited economic reasons for the exodus. The execs feel “betrayed” by Obama’s rhetoric about Wall Street, it said, without quoting anyone by name. But I would point out that according to searches of federal filings, three of the five have given to pro-Israel causes (and a fourth, Schafer, to Jewish ones).
David Solomon of Goldman, Sachs has given generously to the UJA Federation of New York through his family foundation the David M. Solomon Foundation, according to federal filings (990 forms, for tax-deductible organizations). And Solomon has given money to Chabad of Southern Nevada in honor of Sheldon Adelson, the casino owner who has funded Birthright and AIPAC.
Barry Sternlicht has given $100,000 to the Birthright Israel program and $50,000 to the American Jewish Committee through his Sternlicht Family Foundation.
And Joshua Harris’s family foundation has given money in recent years to the American Jewish Committee and the Council on Foreign Relations– as well as $25,000 to the Women’s International Zionist Organization and $25,000 to the American Israel Education Foundation, which sends our congresspeople to Israel.
Forbes says that Harris, the 239th richest American in ’07, is on the AIPAC board.
Maybe the Hill ought to mention that part of the trend? Maybe Chris Matthews?
