"I have always been pro-Israel," Sheldon Adelson said in an interview with Jewish Telegraphic Agency blogger Jacob Berkman last week.

In response to a question about his strategy for supporting Israel, Adelson said, "To do whatever it takes in the best interest of the Israeli people because as Israel goes, so goes the Jews in the Diaspora. If they are achieving success, and their welfare is good, then it reflects positively on the Jews in the Diaspora."

Adelson said that he supports the American-Israel Political Action Committee (AIPAC), and fired back at the critics of his freesheet, "Israel Today".

Adelson denied that he is politically involved in Israel. "Everybody thinks I started the newspaper 'Israel HaYom' purely to benefit Bibi. Nothing could be further from the truth. I started the newspaper to give Israel, Israelis, a fair and balanced view of the news and the views. That’s all. It is not 'Bibi-ton'."

Adelson said that criticism of "Israel Today" was propaganda by its competitors, "Ma'ariv" and "Yediot Ahronot". He said, "[Arnon] Mozes, the publisher of Yediot, is the most powerful man in the State of Israel and all he wants is to maintain his power."

Commenting on the Israeli-Palestinian struggle, Adelson said, "I am not against a two-state solution if it is on the right terms. But I don’t think the right terms will ever be achieved." He added, "But it is pretty obvious that it is the Palestinians that don’t want peace. Their charter says, “Destroy the State of Israel.” Their charter, the PLO’s charter, and the Hamas charter."

Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on December 20, 2009

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