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February 09, 2012 4:33 PM
Adelson and His Bibiton
American political observers just getting to know casino mogul Sheldon Adelson, who has given millions of dollars to Newt Gingrich Super PAC and offered strategic advice to Mitt Romney, may be interested to learn that Adelson’s much-discussed interest in U.S.-Israel relations extends to a very specific interest in right-wing Israeli politics.
Here’s an interesting report via Salon from Noga Tarnopolsky:
It was in order to help a future Netanyahu candidacy that Adelson, in 2007, established Israel Hayom (Israel Today) a daily tabloid newspaper that quickly rose to have the widest circulation in the country. The newspaper was founded on the conviction, widespread among the Israeli right-wing since Netanyahu’s first term in office in the mid-90s, that the media held a deep-seated antipathy to Netanyahu.
A much-repeated rumor, impossible to verify, has it that Adelson has told Israeli friends he is happy to lose even $150 or $200 million dollars on the venture.
Conservative estimates hold that for now, he has lost at least several tens of millions of dollars. The paper boasts an extensive and expensive list of journalists and analysts, it is printed in massive quantities and distributed widely and for free, yet it does not display advertising in sufficient quantities to offset significant costs. It is a rich man’s luxury.
Israelis uncomfortable with the paper’s big shadow have bestowed it with a jokey moniker, Bibiton, a play on Netanyahu’s nickname, Bibi, and on the Hebrew word for newspaper, Iton.
Two playing fields, two different sets of rules, but one fortune to help run up the score. Interesting.
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TCinLA on February 09, 2012 4:47 PM:
Always nice to see proof once again that Jews can indeed by Nazis. Weren't guys like Adelson and Nitwityahoo the kind of "Jews" the Old Testament prophets were preaching against???
CJ on February 09, 2012 4:53 PM:
Two playing fields, two different sets of rules, but one fortune to help run up the score.
Spending money equals free speech. Therefore, the more money you have, the more speech you have.
What a great country!
square1 on February 09, 2012 5:11 PM:
An incredible irony is that while George Soros is a bit of a philanthropist and seeks to generally spread the values of a classically-liberal and open Western society, he really isn't all that politically active.
OTOH, Adelson is hardcore neoconservative activist. He is the foreign policy version of the Koch Brothers.
And yet you will simply never see Democrats level 1/10th of the attacks against Adelson as the GOP routinely launch against Soros. (Kudos to Kilgore for being an exception.)
Mark-NC on February 09, 2012 5:38 PM:
What's the problem here? I'm sure that the Bibiton is "fair and balanced"!
jjm on February 09, 2012 5:40 PM:
One of the most pernicious things in our politics today is any billionaire's ability to buy big news media and shape the world of opinion in their own reactionary image.
I've been wondering for a long time if it was Murdoch's purchase of the Jerusalem Post that encouraged a bizarre right wing tilt to Israeli politics (with which few but the 'settlers' agree with among the populace). But thank you for letting me know about Adelson.
What kind of Jew is he??
Peter C on February 09, 2012 5:44 PM:
Thanks to the Conservative Supreme Court majority and Citizens United, our democracy is for sale. The 1% is willing to spend BILLIONS on it. Are we willing to sell?
We better not, or the 1% will party all day and night all we'll get is some crummy t-shirt.
DAY on February 09, 2012 5:53 PM:
Curious, is it not, that Liberals don't spend billions on political "hobbies"?
Instead they distribute their largesse thru philanthropical enterprises.
bob h on February 10, 2012 6:57 AM:
Bibi presumably will be unable to resist interfering in our election to extort and blackmail Obama. Some sort of collusion with Romney or whoever the republicans nominate will be in the cards.