Adelson ‘Furious’ Over Trump Waffling On Jerusalem Embassy Move

Image by getty images

By Dave Goldiner May 15, 2017

Republican megadonor Sheldon Adelson is reportedly “furious” at President Trump for not immediately moving the U.S. embassy in Israel to Jerusalem — and hit the roof when he heard Secretary of State Rex Tillerson tie the move to jumpstarting the peace process.

The casino mogul forked over $80 million to elect Trump — and took him at his word that he would move the embassy on Day One.

So it’s come as quite a shock to see the new administration sound pretty much like every other administration — using words like “cautious” and “deliberation” to describe a slow-if-ever process towards making such a shift.

Adelson was particularly irate to hear Tillerson tell NBC’s Chuck Todd that the President is being very careful to understand how such a decision [moving the embassy] would impact a peace process,” Axios reported.

That apparently milquetoast talking point is anathema to Adelson and far=right hardliners, who consider Jerusalem’s status to be settled and resist any nod to the Palestinians’ interest in the holy city.

Whether Adelson’s tantrum could spur him to pick up the phone and give Trump a piece of his mind on the eve of the presidential trip to Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories remains to be seen. But it certainly will be worth watching whether he cuts off the spigot of cash until he gets what he wants.

Dave Goldiner is the Forward’s director of digital media. Dave is a veteran journalist who has spent two decades working at newspapers in the United States and Africa. A native New Yorker, Goldiner wrote for the New York Daily News, where he covered some of the biggest stories of our time, including the attacks of September 11, along with thousands of stories of hope and heartbreak. He also studied and worked in Southern Africa and has written for publications in South Africa and Zimbabwe. He holds masters degrees in journalism and public administration from Columbia University. Dave can be reached at [email protected], or follow him on Twitter @davegoldiner

A message from our Publisher & CEO Rachel Fishman Feddersen

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.

The coming year promises to be filled with more complex and historic developments. We are entering an era where independent, fact-based Jewish journalism will be more important than ever. We need to be ready for whatever 2025 will bring, and with your help, we can be.

We’ve set a goal to raise $260,000 by December 31. That’s an ambitious goal, but one that will give us the resources we need to invest in the high quality news, opinion, analysis and cultural coverage that isn’t available anywhere else.

If you feel inspired to make an impact, now is the time to give something back. Join us as a member at your most generous level.

— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO