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Mark Cuban selling Dallas Mavericks to Miriam Adelson, the Jewish philanthropist and casino owner

(JTA) — Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban is reportedly selling a majority stake in his NBA franchise to casino magnate and Jewish philanthropist Miriam Adelson.
Cuban, the Jewish billionaire known for entrepreneurial endeavors including his starring role on ABC’s reality show “Shark Tank,” is selling a stake valued at $3.5 billion to Adelson, the widow of longtime Jewish megadonor Sheldon Adelson.
The deal was first reported by NBA reporter Marc Stein.
The deal represents something of a partnership for Cuban and Adelson, whose daughter is on the Israeli version of “Shark Tank,” according to Sports Illustrated. Cuban will retain control over the team’s basketball operations, while Adelson is expected to bring her casino know-how to Dallas, where some lawmakers are seeking to legalize recreational gambling.
The deal means Adelson, 78, will no longer hold a majority of shares in The Sands, the casino business that has generated most of her family’s wealth and allowed her to donate prolifically to Jewish and pro-Israel causes. Earlier on Tuesday, Bloomberg reported that she was selling $2 billion in stock in order to “acquire a majority stake in a professional sports team.” Adelson’s net worth is estimated at over $30 billion, making her the richest Israeli in the world.
Cuban, 65, purchased the Mavericks in 2000 for $285 million. The team is the seventh-most valuable NBA franchise, according to Forbes, which also estimates Cuban’s net worth at $6.2 billion. Cuban also announced Tuesday that he would be leaving “Shark Tank” next year.
Both Cuban and Adelson have been involved in Jewish causes, Adelson heavily so.
Cuban, whose paternal grandparents had their last name changed from Chabenisky after emigrating from Russia, has said he encountered antisemitism growing up. Cuban is one of the most outspoken owners in all of professional sports on a variety of political issues — including antisemitism.
The Adelson Family Foundation has been a prolific giver to Jewish organizations, most notably Birthright Israel. Miriam and Sheldon Adelson have also been known for their support of Republican politicians, including Donald Trump. Miriam Adelson scaled back her philanthropy during the pandemic when The Sands was not delivering dividends for its shareholders.
The Mavericks do not have any Jewish players, but one of the team’s stars is Kyrie Irving, the All-Star guard who caused controversy last year after he promoted an antisemitic film online and initially refused to apologize. Irving was traded to Dallas in the midst of the scandal.
“If there was just some dude on the street corner saying what Kyrie said, or Kanye said, you’d just assume they’re crazy and keep on walking, right?” Cuban said at the time, referencing the rapper Kanye West’s months-long antisemitism scandal. “But when they’re a celebrity, you can’t do that, because you have a platform.”
The Mavericks are the third NBA team to be bought by a Jewish billionaire in the past year, following Mat Ishbia’s purchase of the Phoenix Suns (and the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury) and Gabe Plotkin’s acquisition of the Charlotte Hornets.
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The post Mark Cuban selling Dallas Mavericks to Miriam Adelson, the Jewish philanthropist and casino owner appeared first on Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
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Israel Receives Shipment of Heavy Bombs Cleared by Trump

US President Donald Trump looks on as he signs an executive order in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, US, Jan. 31, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Carlos Barria
Israel has received a shipment of heavy MK-84 bombs from the United States, after US President Donald Trump lifted a block imposed on the export of the munitions by the administration of predecessor Joe Biden, the defense ministry said on Sunday.
The MK-84 is an unguided 2,000 pound bomb, which can rip through thick concrete and metal, creating a wide blast radius.
The Biden administration declined to clear them for export to Israel out of concern about the impact on densely populated areas of the Gaza Strip.
The Biden administration sent thousands of 2,000-pound bombs to Israel after the Oct. 7, 2023 attack by Palestinian Hamas terrorists from Gaza but later held up one of the shipments. The hold was lifted by Trump last month.
“The munitions shipment that arrived in Israel tonight, released by the Trump Administration, represents a significant asset for the Air Force and the IDF and serves as further evidence of the strong alliance between Israel and the United States,” Defense Minister Israel Katz said late on Saturday.
The shipment arrived after days of concern about whether a fragile ceasefire in Gaza agreed last month would hold, after both sides accused each other of violating the terms of the deal to halt fighting to allow the exchange of hostages held in Gaza for Palestinian prisoners and detainees in Israeli jails.
Washington has announced assistance for Israel worth billions of dollars since the war began.
The post Israel Receives Shipment of Heavy Bombs Cleared by Trump first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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US Mideast Envoy Says Phase Two Gaza Talks to Continue This Week

US President Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy-designate Steve Witkoff gives a speech at the inaugural parade inside Capital One Arena on the inauguration day of Trump’s second presidential term, in Washington, DC, Jan. 20, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Carlos Barria
US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff said on Sunday that talks on phase two of a ceasefire deal between Israel and Palestinian terrorists Hamas would continue this week “at a location to be determined” to figure out how to reach a successful conclusion.
He told Fox News that he had “very productive and constructive” calls on Sunday with Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and Egypt’s director of intelligence.
Witkoff said they spoke about “the sequencing of phase two, setting forth positions on both sides, so we can understand… where we are today, and then continuing talks this week at a location to be determined so that we can figure out how we get to the end of phase two successfully.”
The post US Mideast Envoy Says Phase Two Gaza Talks to Continue This Week first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Arab States to Reveal 5-Year Plan to Rebuild Gaza: No Hamas or Relocation

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi attends the Arab summit in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, May 31, 2019. Photo: REUTERS/Hamad l Mohammed/File Photo.
i24 News – Arab countries will unveil their plan for the reconstruction of Gaza on February 27 in Cairo. This initiative, developed by the Palestinians and handed over to the Egyptians for implementation, will be presented to the leaders of Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar. The plan provides for reconstruction over three to five years, without the displacement of the Palestinian population and without Hamas control. The funding, estimated at several hundred million dollars, will come from Gulf countries. The work will be carried out by Egyptian companies, representing a significant source of income for Egypt, which is strongly opposed to any migration of Palestinians out of Gaza. The workforce will consist mainly of local Palestinians.
“The goal is to marginalize Hamas so that it understands that it has lost control of Gaza, and to completely eliminate the terrorist organization’s grip on the population and the territory within 5 years from the start of reconstruction,” a source involved in the plan said.
An independent “Palestinian administration,” separate from the Palestinian Authority but relying on it, will oversee the reconstruction. This power structure is designed to get the approval of Israel and the United States, who refuse direct management by the Palestinian Authority.
Arab countries fear a resurgence of fighting by Israel, which could, in their view, favor US President Donald Trump’s plan to move Palestinians to neighboring countries. The former US president said he wanted to see Jordan, Egypt, and other Arab countries welcome more displaced people from Gaza, so that the war-torn area can be “cleaned up.”
According to analyzed satellite images, approximately 65% of the buildings in Gaza have been destroyed during the war. Experts estimate that reconstruction could take more than a decade and cost several hundred billion dollars.
The post Arab States to Reveal 5-Year Plan to Rebuild Gaza: No Hamas or Relocation first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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