In a recent interview Democratic megadonor Haim Saban attacked Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) over his criticisms of Israel.
The billionaire media proprietor told Israeli daily Yediot Aharonot that most congressional Democrats remain very pro-Israel and that only about a dozen stand opposed to the country. He specifically singled out Sanders for scorn calling him “a self-hating Jew” and “an Israel-hater.” “You can quote me on that,” he added.
In the same interview Saban criticized extremist members of the current Israeli government, calling their behavior “inexplicable.” Saban said he hopes that Israeli leadership finds a way to send the Israel-haters [National Security Minister Itamar] Ben-Gvir and [Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel] Smotrich home, and that [National Unity Party leader] Benny Gantz and [Opposition Leader] Yair Lapid will enter the government.”
Saban was also asked about his decision to keep donating to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) despite the lobbying group’s support for numerous Republicans who refused to certify President Joe Biden’s 2020 election victory. “The only goal of this organization is to prevent people who are against US-Israel relations from advancing and to support those who support relations between Jerusalem and Washington… ” he explained. “Many Democrats called me and said ‘are you stupid? you’re a Democrat who supports [Jan 6 Republicans]?’ I always say the same thing: It’s a specific, defined issue, and that is the US-Israel relationship. In that sense, I’m not interested in anything else.”
Saban had lunch with Biden at The White House last week where they reportedly met for three hours. He said that some members of Israel’s government make the president “break out in hives,” but noted that he regularly cites his commitment to the Zionist cause.
Last year Saban donated $1 million to the United Democracy Project (UDP), the Super PAC that AIPAC uses to spend heavily on Democratic primaries. The PAC has already raised almost $9 million to spend on 2024 races and is hoping to oust progressives like Reps. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) and Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) over their positions on Israel/Palestine.
During the 2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries Saban (who is worth an estimated $3.2 billion) declared that he loved every candidate besides Sanders. “We love all 23 candidates,” he said at time. “No, minus one. I profoundly dislike Bernie Sanders, and you can write it. I don’t give a hoot. He’s a communist under the cover of being a socialist. He thinks that every billionaire is a crook. He calls us ‘the billionaire class.’ And he attacks us indiscriminately. ‘It’s the billionaire class, the bad guys.’ This is how communists think. So, 22 are great. One is a disaster zone.”
He went on to blame Sanders for the faltering reputation of AIPAC among some Democratic lawmakers. “I can’t deny the impact that Bernie has had on the Democratic Party,” he admitted. “I love it when Bernie says, ‘I recognize Israel’s right to exist.’ That’s how he expresses his support of Israel. Well, thank you so very much. Are you out of your freaking mind? Oh, I’m allowed to live. Hallelujah, praise the lord.”
Yeah, well here’s what Bernie Sanders has to say about Haim Saban ( from 2019 ):
https://www.jta.org/quick-reads/bernie-sanders-is-proud-to-list-haim-saban-as-an-anti-endorsement
The Sanders campaign put the pro-Israel entertainment mogul and major Democratic Party funder first on a list of 13 “anti-endorsements” — that is, public figures whose support Sanders either doesn’t want or isn’t getting….“Saban is a billionaire that has spent millions of dollars buying elections for his candidates. He called on the United States to bomb Iran in 2014, criticized President Obama’s attempts to bring peace to the Middle East, and attacked senators for urging humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip,” the list says.
About that last point, ( 2018 ) https://theintercept.com/2018/06/20/haim-saban-bernie-sanders-israel-gaza-letter/
Democratic Party megadonor Haim Saban is privately reprimanding lawmakers who spoke out about the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip. Saban emailed the senators, some at their personal addresses, to directly express his displeasure with a letter organized last month by Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt….Twelve Democrats and Sanders signed the May 11, 2018, letter calling for Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to “act urgently in order to help relieve the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip.” The letter, which came amid a deadly Israeli response to a protest movement in the Gaza Strip, said that the Trump administration should restore funding to a United Nations humanitarian effort and encourage Israel to ease restrictions on Palestinians living in Gaza. Three days after the senators sent the letter, Israel fired on another round of protests, leaving dozens dead and hundreds more wounded.
Saban defaults to the standard Jewish supremacist slander against Bernie Sanders. In my view Saban is an agent of a foreign government, and his Jewish supremacist money should be banned from American politics. And every single member of Congress funded by Jewish supremacist money should be ejected from Congress ASAP.
This man makes Satan look like “Mother Teresa.” Ethnic cleansing is okay with Haim Saban because he is an arrogant anti-Palestinian racist zionist.
Shame on any Democrat who takes money from this evil snake.
Why is Haim Sabin granted a 3 hour lunch with a sitting US president. It’s because he has the money. This is the singular problem with the USA. Those with the bucks call the shots. It isn’t about Israel or Palestine. A million dollar donation grants access to power. Gerrymandering allows the minority to control the majority. Poor levels of education and skillful politicians with their media apparatus (Fox News) make sure the legitimate grievences are channeled at the very people seeking to improve the country. Christians who don’t tow the evangelical line aren’t real Christians and Jews who seek universal human rights are self hating ones. The silver lining in this is that independent and fact based reporting can reach beyond peoples indoctrination and maybe create spaces of critical thinking, hope and action that lead to universal human prosperity.
There’s a story about a man who was called a self-hating Jew. His reply: “I don’t hate myself. I hate YOU, you ****ing bastard!”