"I'm not killing the newspaper "Haaretz" and if "Haaretz" is on its way down it's because it's killing itself," billionaire Sheldon Adelson told "Globes" after arriving in Tel Aviv yesterday. He spoke for the first time about his decision to buy the Ma'ariv print house for NIS 80 million for the daily freesheet "Israel Today."
He said, "I'm a businessman. I prefer managing a printing house myself than to let somebody else profit."
In response to questions that he has been supporting "Ha'aretz" in recent years by printing his newspaper at their printing house he said, "So what. If I eat too much high calorie food yesterday I have to keep eating it today?"
According to "Forbes,"Adelson had the biggest gain in net wealth over 2013 with his fortune rising $15 billion to $37 billion, making him the fifth wealthiest man in the US, up from number 11, and the world's wealthiest Jew.
Is "Israel Today" here to stay?
"I'm 80 and you'll still see Israel Today when you get to my age."
Really, it's not a paper that's just around to support Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu?
It's only because the unofficial dictator Noni Mozes, who wasn't elected in Israel, tells you that it's for supporting Bibi." Noni Mozes is the publisher of "Yediot Ahronot."
So no?
"Correct, how do you know anyway?"
Because we read the paper and that's how it looks
"No what you see is what Noni Mozes writes about Bibi exaggerations, half-truths and lies, and what you read in our newspaper is a fair and balanced viewpoint not only about Bibi but about everyone."
So when "Israel Today" writes about the empire of evil of Noni Mozes you stand behind that?
"Do I stand behind that?"
His wife Dr. Miriam Adelson interjects to say, "He stands behind that."
Sheldon Adelson added, "I stand behind it all. On top of that it was my idea."
He refused to answer a question about the extent of his involvement in "Israel Today," but his wife said, "We don't tell the journalists what to write. We don't tell them publish this or that article or put in another article. They are the freest journalists in Israel."
At this point Adelson turned to "Israel Today" journalists and asked them if he had ever told them what to write.
"Haaretz" publisher Amos Schoken said, "Sheldon Adelson is right. He did not come to support "Haaretz" when he bought printing services but did this out of business considerations. He is also right that he is not killing "Haaretz" when he buys a printing house to print "Israel Today" for himself and through outsourcing. This is also out of business considerations."
"Yediot Ahronot" declined to comment.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on December 24, 2013
© Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd. 2013