An American-Israeli billionaire proposed to former President Donald Trump that she would be his largest donor in his election campaign to return to the White House, but on the condition that he accepts Israel’s annexation of the West Bank if he becomes president of the United States.
Although Trump has been maintaining his lead in opinion polls over current President Joe Biden for 7 months, he is lagging behind him in fundraising, according to the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, which reported this news.
Haaretz says – in a report – that Trump is already suffering from financial hardship in light of the large spending he needs on the group of lawyers defending him in 4 criminal cases, as well as compensation in other civil lawsuits.
To earn more money, Haaretz says, Trump began making promises in exchange for financial donations to his campaign.
In this context, Haaretz quoted New York Magazine as saying that wealthy Dr. Miriam Adelson offered Trump to become his largest donor in exchange for his standing by Israel in its annexation of the West Bank if he became president.
Trump attaches special importance to such a donation, as Adelson’s donation is not expected to be restricted while major donors insist on directing their money to the candidate’s political campaign instead of spending it on Trump’s personal legal expenses.
Adelson is known as an Israeli-American doctor known for her generous donation to the Republican Party, and she is the widow of Sheldon Adelson, who died in 2021. After his death, she became the owner of her husband’s company, which consists of a casino and resort called “Las Vegas Sands.” Adelson is now considered the richest Israeli in the world and the fifth-richest woman in the United States, with a net worth of $34.2 billion.
According to the New York Magazine article, Trump, after surpassing his rivals for the Republican Party nomination, invited Adelson to dinner one Saturday at his residence in Mar-a-Lago last March. He did not leave the dinner with the check he was hoping to receive, but it seems that he understood how to get it. This, according to Haaretz.
the interview
A few days later, Haaretz says, Trump conducted an interview with Omar Lachmanovich and Ariel Kahane of the free daily newspaper Israel Hayom, owned by Adelson, in which he said verbatim:
“I am a very loyal person. I was loyal to Israel. I was the best American president in history for Israel…” explaining that he was the one who moved the embassy to Jerusalem and that he concluded the Abraham Accords and recognized Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights, commenting on what he did by saying, “I did not No one thought this would be possible.”
After 5 months, Trump refused to clarify his position on the Gaza war, attacking Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu every time. Thanks to Adelson, Trump finally expressed his absolute support for Israel.
However, New York Magazine says that Trump made a tactical error that took him away from the money he so desperately wanted, when he said in that interview, “You have to end your war. You have to get it done… Get the job done and I’m sure you will do it. And we have to get to peace.” .
But Adelson – according to the magazine – did not want to hear Trump longing for peace. She did not want to hear anything that could be interpreted as criticism of Israel.
According to the report, what Adelson really wants from Trump’s second term is Israel’s annexation of the West Bank and the United States’ recognition of Israeli sovereignty in all the areas it controls. Under these circumstances, there is no place for the Palestinian Authority, and therefore no one will demand that Israel sign a peace agreement with it.
Haaretz pointed out that Adelson is not the only major donor to Trump, explaining that other donors presented Trump with their lists of demands.
The Washington Post recently cited another meeting between Trump and some donors, a group that Trump said included “98% of my Jewish friends.”
During this meeting, which was held in New York on May 14, the donors asked Trump – according to the newspaper – about the students who are demonstrating against Israel at universities, and he replied, “Any student who protests, I will expel him from the country. As you know, there are a lot of foreign students. As soon as they hear that They will behave well.”
When an (unnamed) donor complained that these students and professors might one day hold positions of power, Trump described them as part of a “radical revolution” that he pledged to defeat and said, “If you elect me, and you really should, we will bring back that (pro-Palestinian) movement.” ) back 25 or 30 years.
