Features
Trump Raises Questions About Miriam Adelson’s Priorities and Sparks Debate Over Donor Influence on Politics
During a speech in the Knesset, Donald Trump unexpectedly pointed to the special role of Miriam Adelson in shaping U.S.–Israel relations. His remarks addressed not only the well-known philanthropist herself, but also a broader issue: how significant is the influence of private donors on a country’s foreign policy becoming? Society once again turns its attention to the boundaries of what is acceptable in the alliance between politics and big capital.
Who Is Miriam Adelson and Why She Receives So Much Attention
Dr. Miriam Adelson is a physician, scientist, and millionaire of Jewish origin, born in Israel and living in the United States for many years. She actively supports educational, medical, and cultural projects related to Jewish and Israeli identity, as well as programs aimed at combating drug addiction. Her foundation finances scholarships, memorials, and medical research.
Miriam Adelson is known for having continued her late husband’s political course after the death of Sheldon Adelson, a businessman and the founder of the casino company Las Vegas Sands, by maintaining strong support for the U.S. Republican Party. Over recent decades, the Adelson family has donated hundreds of millions of dollars to election campaigns, becoming one of the leading donors to the conservative wing of American politics. It is precisely the scale of her influence and her close contacts with the Trump administration that draw particular interest from experts and observers.
How Miriam and Sheldon Adelson Influenced U.S. Decisions on Israel
A series of cases is widely discussed in which funding from the Adelson family coincided with major political decisions made by the White House. Among the most prominent examples is the relocation of the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in 2018. According to reports by Reuters and The New York Times, this move was actively lobbied by Adelson and her circle, and the opening ceremony itself took place in the personal presence of the philanthropists.
In addition, Miriam Adelson has repeatedly been honored for her philanthropy and support of Israeli military organizations. In 2018, Trump awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom, one of the highest state honors in the United States. It is known that Adelson regularly visited the White House and maintained personal contact with the president on key issues.
The term “major donor” in this context refers to an individual or organization that contributes substantial sums to the campaigns of politicians or political parties. Lobbying is the activity of promoting the interests of private entities through lawful mechanisms of influence on those in power.
What Donald Trump Said and Why His Words Caused a Stir
During his speech, broadcast on Israeli and American channels, Trump stated: “Every president for decades said they would move the embassy to Jerusalem, but I got it done. Right, Miriam? Look, here’s Miriam—stand up, Miriam.”
Trump then spoke about how the Adelson couple frequently visited his office and actively participated in discussions on issues related to Israel. He added: “I once asked Miriam: which do you love more—Israel or the United States? She didn’t answer. Maybe it’s Israel.” These remarks became the subject of heated debate: can a donor with such priorities be considered capable of influencing U.S. foreign policy?
The context of the speech intensified the overall atmosphere—on the eve of the address, a temporary ceasefire regime between Israel and Hamas had been agreed upon, and Trump presented himself as a peacemaker. His jokes and rhetorical questions energized the audience, but also generated new suspicions regarding the transparency of the decisions being made.
Reaction of Public Organizations and Experts
Immediately after Trump’s speech, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) issued a statement condemning such close ties between politicians and private donors. In a comment to Casino.org, CAIR representatives noted: “We welcome Trump’s candor in openly acknowledging the level of influence Miriam Adelson has on policy. We urge all U.S. politicians to refuse support from donors who place the interests of a foreign state above national ones.”
CAIR’s primary mission is to protect the interests of American Muslims and to combat discrimination and double standards. The council actively responds to any manifestations of interference in U.S. politics by foreign lobbyists. According to experts, such statements reflect growing public concern about the transparency of the political process.
The Debate Over Donor Influence and Possible Consequences
Public anxiety is increasing over whose hands hold the levers of control over foreign policy. Some experts argue that donations are a way of exercising civic engagement and supporting chosen politicians. Others see this as a threat to national interests and a risk of substituting public demand with private interests.
Where is the line between lawful support for a candidate and manipulation of foreign policy? What measures can prevent conflicts of interest between donors and state institutions? There are still no clear answers to these questions. Discussions of lobbying, donor ethics, and the influence of capital are becoming increasingly intense amid global challenges.
Similar mechanisms of influence also exist in less large-scale but no less illustrative forms, including in the gambling sector. In various countries, politicians and government officials often receive financial support from the gambling business, including casino owners and online platform operators. In return, such industries expect favorable regulation: license extensions, relaxed requirements, more lenient tax legislation, or delays in restrictive measures. Formally, such relationships fall within the bounds of the law, yet they increasingly become the subject of public debate about conflicts of interest and the transparency of decision-making.
Against this backdrop, it is hardly surprising that the gambling industry is developing not only in offline formats but also in the digital sphere, where state oversight is often weaker. Online casinos and live games attract audiences through mobility and ease of access, while the projects themselves quickly build up an ecosystem of apps and services. For example, through FunkyTimeGame.org Apps, users can download Funky Time applications and play in a live show format directly from a smartphone, without being tied to physical casinos or a specific location.
In a broader context, this once again brings the discussion back to the core issue: the influence of capital—whether from major political donors or the gambling industry—gradually permeates various spheres of public life. That is why questions of transparency, regulation, and public oversight are becoming increasingly relevant, regardless of whether the issue concerns foreign policy, domestic legislation, or the entertainment industry.
Context and Explanations for a Broad Audience
The Knesset is Israel’s parliament and the country’s highest legislative body. The relocation of the American embassy to Jerusalem was perceived as a historic victory for Israeli diplomacy; it signified the official recognition of the city as the capital. For the United States, this step became the subject of sharp criticism from other Middle Eastern countries as well as allies in the European Union.
World history has seen other instances in which major donors, such as George Soros or the Koch brothers, exerted notable influence on politics by financing campaigns, think tanks, or media outlets. The Adelson case only underscores that such practices have become universal, while questions of transparency remain unresolved.
Who determines strategic foreign policy decisions—presidents, parliaments, or shadow donors with their own preferences? Do parallels arise with other countries where political elites are closely intertwined with big capital? Behind the façade of philanthropy often lie complex mechanisms of influence that require public oversight and reflection.
During
a speech in the Knesset, Donald Trump unexpectedly pointed to the
special role of Miriam Adelson in shaping U.S.–Israel relations.
His remarks addressed not only the well-known philanthropist herself,
but also a broader issue: how significant is the influence of private
donors on a country’s foreign policy becoming? Society once again
turns its attention to the boundaries of what is acceptable in the
alliance between politics and big capital.Who Is Miriam Adelson and
Why She Receives So Much AttentionDr. Miriam Adelson is a
physician, scientist, and millionaire of Jewish origin, born in
Israel and living in the United States for many years. She actively
supports educational, medical, and cultural
projects related to Jewish and Israeli identity, as well as programs
aimed at combating drug addiction. Her foundation finances
scholarships, memorials, and medical research.Miriam Adelson is known for
having continued her late husband’s political course after the
death of Sheldon Adelson, a businessman and the founder of the casino
company Las Vegas Sands, by maintaining strong support for the U.S.
Republican Party. Over recent decades, the Adelson family has donated
hundreds of millions of dollars to election campaigns, becoming one
of the leading donors to the conservative wing of American politics.
It is precisely the scale of her influence and her close contacts
with the Trump administration that draw particular interest from
experts and observers.How Miriam and Sheldon
Adelson Influenced U.S. Decisions on IsraelA series of cases is widely
discussed in which funding from the Adelson family coincided with
major political decisions made by the White House. Among the most
prominent examples is the relocation of the U.S. embassy from Tel
Aviv to Jerusalem in 2018. According to reports by Reuters and The
New York Times, this move was actively lobbied by Adelson and her
circle, and the opening ceremony itself took place in the personal
presence of the philanthropists.In addition, Miriam Adelson
has repeatedly been honored for her philanthropy and support of
Israeli military organizations. In 2018, Trump awarded her the
Presidential Medal of Freedom, one of the highest state honors in the
United States. It is known that Adelson regularly visited the White
House and maintained personal contact with the president on key
issues.The term “major donor”
in this context refers to an individual or organization that
contributes substantial sums to the campaigns of politicians or
political parties. Lobbying is the activity of promoting the
interests of private entities through lawful mechanisms of influence
on those in power.What Donald Trump Said and
Why His Words Caused a StirDuring his speech, broadcast
on Israeli and American channels, Trump stated: “Every president
for decades said they would move the embassy to Jerusalem, but I got
it done. Right, Miriam? Look, here’s Miriam—stand up, Miriam.”Trump then spoke about how
the Adelson couple frequently visited his office and actively
participated in discussions on issues related to Israel. He added: “I
once asked Miriam: which do you love more—Israel or the United
States? She didn’t answer. Maybe it’s Israel.” These remarks
became the subject of heated debate: can a donor with such priorities
be considered capable of influencing U.S. foreign policy?The context of the speech
intensified the overall atmosphere—on the eve of the address, a
temporary ceasefire regime between Israel and Hamas had been agreed
upon, and Trump presented himself as a peacemaker. His jokes and
rhetorical questions energized the audience, but also generated new
suspicions regarding the transparency of the decisions being made.Reaction of Public
Organizations and ExpertsImmediately after Trump’s
speech, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) issued a
statement condemning such close ties between politicians and private
donors. In a comment to Casino.org, CAIR representatives noted: “We
welcome Trump’s candor in openly acknowledging the level of
influence Miriam Adelson has on policy. We urge all U.S. politicians
to refuse support from donors who place the interests of a foreign
state above national ones.”CAIR’s primary mission is
to protect the interests of American Muslims and to combat
discrimination and double standards. The council actively responds to
any manifestations of interference in U.S. politics by foreign
lobbyists. According to experts, such statements reflect growing
public concern about the transparency of the political process.The Debate Over Donor
Influence and Possible ConsequencesPublic anxiety is increasing
over whose hands hold the levers of control over foreign policy. Some
experts argue that donations are a way of exercising civic engagement
and supporting chosen politicians. Others see this as a threat to
national interests and a risk of substituting public demand with
private interests.Where is the line between
lawful support for a candidate and manipulation of foreign policy?
What measures can prevent conflicts of interest between donors and
state institutions? There are still no clear answers to these
questions. Discussions of lobbying, donor ethics, and the influence
of capital are becoming increasingly intense amid global challenges.Similar mechanisms of
influence also exist in less large-scale but no less illustrative
forms, including in the gambling sector. In various countries,
politicians and government officials often receive financial support
from the gambling business, including casino owners and online
platform operators. In return, such industries expect favorable
regulation: license extensions, relaxed requirements, more lenient
tax legislation, or delays in restrictive measures. Formally, such
relationships fall within the bounds of the law, yet they
increasingly become the subject of public debate about conflicts of
interest and the transparency of decision-making.Against this backdrop, it is
hardly surprising that the gambling industry is developing not only
in offline formats but also in the digital sphere, where state
oversight is often weaker. Online casinos and live games attract
audiences through mobility and ease of access, while the projects
themselves quickly build up an ecosystem of apps and services. For
example, through FunkyTimeGame.org
Apps, users can download Funky Time applications and play in a
live show format directly from a smartphone, without being tied to
physical casinos or a specific location.In a broader context, this
once again brings the discussion back to the core issue: the
influence of capital—whether from major political donors or the
gambling industry—gradually permeates various spheres of public
life. That is why questions of transparency, regulation, and public
oversight are becoming increasingly relevant, regardless of whether
the issue concerns foreign policy, domestic legislation, or the
entertainment industry.Context and Explanations for
a Broad AudienceThe Knesset is Israel’s
parliament and the country’s highest legislative body. The
relocation of the American embassy to Jerusalem was perceived as a
historic victory for Israeli diplomacy; it signified the official
recognition of the city as the capital. For the United States, this
step became the subject of sharp criticism from other Middle Eastern
countries as well as allies in the European Union.World history has seen other
instances in which major donors, such as George Soros or the Koch
brothers, exerted notable influence on politics by financing
campaigns, think tanks, or media outlets. The Adelson case only
underscores that such practices have become universal, while
questions of transparency remain unresolved.Who determines strategic
foreign policy decisions—presidents, parliaments, or shadow donors
with their own preferences? Do parallels arise with other countries
where political elites are closely intertwined with big capital?
Behind the façade of philanthropy often lie complex mechanisms of
influence that require public oversight and reflection.
Features
Will the Iranian Regime Collapse?
By HENRY SREBRNIK When U. S. President Donald Trump restored “maximum sanctions” pressure against Iran a year ago, he was clear about its goals: Deny Iran a nuclear weapon, dismantle its terror proxy network and stop its ballistic missile program.
The government in Tehran has fended off through violence and repression previous large-scale protests but now may limit or hold its fire. After all, Trump has been willing to go where no U.S. president has, including the authorization of a strike to destroy Iran’s nuclear enrichment capacity last year and the recent capture of Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela.
Trump has demonstrated that his government is willing to use military measures to overthrow an enemy regime, and Tehran was, perhaps surprisingly, one of the closest allies of Maduro. The two countries were united by their approach to international sanctions and their ability to survive in American enmity.
Over the past three decades, this combination of political sympathy and anti-American rhetoric developed into a complex web of cooperation involving oil, finance, industry and security.
Since Maduro’s predecessor, Hugo Chavez, came to power in 1999, relations between Tehran and Caracas tightened significantly. During his first visit to Iran in 2001, Chavez declared that he had arrived “to help pave the way for peace, justice, stability, and progress in the 21st century.”
Nearly 300 economic, infrastructure, gas, and oil agreements were signed, worth billions of dollars. At one point, Venezuela even considered selling F-16 fighter jets to Tehran, while Iran supplied Venezuela with advanced Mohajer-6 drones. All this now comes to an end.
Maduro’s removal constitutes a severe blow to the operational base of Tehran in South America. With Maduro gone, “Iran is now in the eye of the storm,” observed Fawaz Gerges, Middle East analyst and professor of international relations at London’s School of Economics and Political Science.
“The big lesson out of the fall of the Venezuelan regime is not Colombia, not Greenland,” he said. “The Iranians know that Iran is the next target. Not only of the Trump administration, but also of the Benjamin Netanyahu government” in Israel.
Israel, which has long perceived Iran as an existential threat, launched 12 days of what it described as pre-emptive strikes on military and nuclear sites in Iran last June, with U.S. war planes attacking three major nuclear facilities.
They now see Iran as being cornered, extremely vulnerable and weak at this moment. “I think they’re piling on the pressure. They’re hoping that they could really, basically bring about regime change in Iran,” Gerges added.
On Jan. 12, Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian shifted focus away from Iran’s stuttering economy and suppression of dissent and towards his country’s longstanding geopolitical adversaries, Israel and the United States. Speaking on state broadcaster IRIB, Pezeshkian claimed that “the same people that struck this country” during Israel’s 12-day war last June were now “trying to escalate these unrests with regard to the economic discussion.
“They have trained some people inside and outside the country; they have brought in some terrorists from outside,” he charged, alleging that those responsible had attacked a bazaar in the northern city of Rasht and set mosques on fire.
“My assumption is that the Mossad is active in Tehran behind the scenes,” contended Ahron Bregman, who teaches at King’s College London and has written extensively on Israeli intelligence operations. “Israeli officials are unusually quiet.” There are clear instructions not to talk and “not to be seen to be involved in any way.”
“I’d be very surprised if Israeli agents were not active within Iran right now,” defence analyst Hamze Attar maintained. “They’re going to be doing everything they can to make sure these protests continue and escalate.”
But anything that Israel is up to will of course be covert. This restraint is a calculated approach taken to avoid disrupting a process of regime change that may be driven internally. Intervening would only confirm the regime’s claims that the protesters are “Zionist agents,” a charge that could shift popular anger onto the demonstrators and douse the movement.
“Any visible involvement would give the Iranians an excuse to intensify repression,” explained Danny Citrinowicz, a senior researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies and former head of Iran research in an Israeli military intelligence branch
Reza Pahlavi, the eldest son of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the last Shah of Iran, who maintains he wants peace with Israel and the United States, suggests Iran faces a historic moment. “In all these years, I’ve never seen an opportunity as we see today in Iran. Iranian people are more than ever committed to bringing an end to this regime,” he stated. “By God, it is about time that Iran gets its opportunity to free itself from a tyrannical regime.”
Iranians have seen the regime and its backers exposed and humiliated by an American administration and Israel, and they are taking advantage of it. But it won’t be easy. This is a religious nomenklatura that will use all means at its disposal to hold on to power. Never underestimate their cruelty and resolve
Henry Srebrnik is a professor of political science at the University of Prince Edward Island.
Features
New autobiography by Holocaust survivor Hedy Bohm – who went on to testify in trials of two Nazi war criminals
Book Review by Julie Kirsh, Former Sun Media News Research Director
My parents were Hungarian Jewish Holocaust survivors who arrived in Toronto in 1951 without family or friends. In the late 50s my mother met Hedy Bohm outside of our downtown apartment and quickly connected with her. Both women had suffered the loss of all family in the Shoah. Over the years our families’ custom became sharing our dining table with the Bohm family for the Jewish high holidays. The tradition continues today with the second generation.
Hedy was born in 1928 in the city of Oradea in Romania. She was a pampered only child, adored by her father and very much attached to her mother. Although Hedy was an adolescent, she was kept from hearing about the rising anti-semitism around her in her hometown. She was protected and sheltered like any child. Memoirs from other adolescents like Elie Wiesel, aged 15 in Auschwitz, Samuel Pisar, liberated at 16, and Rabbi Israel Meir Lau, who was found in Buchenwald by American soldiers at age 8, made me wonder about the resilience and strength of children who survived like Hedy.
Hedy was only 16 years old when she walked through the gates of hell, Auschwitz-Birkenau. Hedy’s poignant retelling of this pivotal moment in her young life was the sudden separation from her father and moments later from her mother. Somehow Hedy’s mother got ahead of her upon their arrival at Auschwitz. Hedy called out to her. Her mother turned and they looked at each other. A Nazi guard prevented Hedy from joining her mother. Hedy has always been tormented by this moment of separation. Did her mother know that she was walking to her death?
Hedy writes that she was focused on survival in the camps. She concentrated on eating whatever food was given and keeping clean by washing daily in icy, cold water before the roll call. When she contracted diarrhea, she remembered her mother’s homemade remedy of gnawing on charred wood. Her naivete and innocence were overcome with a strong inner determination to stay alive so that she could see her mother again.
Hedy recounts the terrible hunger that everyone endured. One day, spotting some carrots in a warehouse, Hedy was appointed by her aunt to run and grab what she could. Luckily she evaded the armed guard who would have shot her on the spot.
On April 14, 1945, Hedy’s day of liberation, she learned the terrible fate of her mother. The return home for the survivors was a further tragedy when they realized the loss of family and community.
In her memoir, Hedy describes meeting Imre, an older boy from her town whom she eventually married. Their flight from Romania to Budapest to Pier 21 in Halifax to Toronto is documented in harrowing detail.
Hedy recounts how in Toronto no one wanted to know the stories of the survivors. This was a world before Eichmann’s trial in Israel in 1961 and the TV series, The Holocaust, in 1978. The floodgates for information from the survivors opened late in their lives.
In Toronto, after many failed enterprises, Imre and Hedy stumbled onto the shoe selling business. In 1959, they leased a small shoe store close to Honest Ed’s in downtown Toronto. Surprisingly, the business according to Hedy, became very profitable. Many years later, after Imre’s sudden death due to a heart attack, Hedy continued to manage their shoe business while taking care of her daughter, Vicky and son, Ronnie.
In 1996, Hedy was introduced to Rabbi Jordan Pearlson. Their love match made Hedy feel that she had been given a wonderful gift, late in life, which she welcomed.
Jordan died in 2008. Hedy endured and carried on with yoga and tai chi both as a teacher and devoted practitioner.
A new purpose in life opened up for Hedy when she was invited to be a speaker for the Holocaust Education Centre (now the Toronto Holocaust Museum). She spoke to mostly non-Jewish students whom she visited at their schools outside of Toronto.
Visiting Auschwitz with the March of the Living for the first time in 2010, Hedy faced her fears about returning to the place that held the horrors. She was fortunate to meet Jordana Lebowitz, a student from Toronto who developed a multimedia presentation called ShadowLight. Hedy’s contribution to teaching others about the Holocaust by sharing her experience, is immeasurable.
In 2014, Hedy was asked to be a witness at the trial of Oskar Groning , “the accountant of Auschwitz”, in Germany. In 2016, she appeared as a witness for the trial of the Nazi guard, Reinhold Hanning. He was sentenced to a mere five years in prison and Groning died before he could start his jail sentence. In having the courage to participate in these war criminal trials, Hedy spoke for her parents and all the innocents who could not speak for themselves.
Hedy’s talks to students always include an admonishment to be kind, to trust in themselves and work for the greater good. She rose above her own fears of sharing her story by speaking publicly.
Hedy’s story of survival and perseverance will remain a beacon to future generations, ensuring that hope and good will endure even in the worst of times.
Reflection
by Hedy Bohm
Published in 2026 by The Azrieli Foundation
To order a copy of the book go to https://memoirs.azrielifoundation.org/titles/reflection/
Features
Optimizing mobile wagering convenience with bassbet casino
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