Investing in politics is finally paying off for billionaire casino owner Sheldon Adelson.
The dividends will be displayed this weekend as some of the nation’s top fundraisers assemble at his Venetian hotel in Las Vegas for the annual meeting of his signature political organization, the Republican Jewish Coalition. Among those paying their respects will be Vice President Mike Pence and Ronna Romney McDaniel, the new Republican National Committee leader.
While Adelson often attracts big-name conservatives, the RJC and its mega-donor benefactor have rarely enjoyed such a strong political position as now. He had a private dinner at the White House earlier this month, just days before a visit from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu where President Donald Trump announced an abandonment of a decades-old U.S. position supporting separate states for Israel and Palestinians.
With Jews deeply divided about Trump -- he was criticized for being slow to condemn recent threats against Jewish community centers that have raised antisemitism concerns -- the RJC provides the White House at least one steadfastly supportive national Jewish group.
“He has gone much farther in his comments and in articulating his views in terms of the strength of his pro-Israel message than any president I can remember recently,” said Matt Brooks, the RJC’s executive director. “That is very well received.”
Elite Fundraisers
The three-day gathering, expected to attract about 600 people, will start the RJC’s planning for a 2018 midterm election that will mark Trump’s first electoral test as president. Former Vice President Dick Cheney, Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, Senator Cory Gardner of Colorado and Senator Joni Ernst of Iowa are among the other speakers.
The RJC provides an elite network of fundraisers who help Republicans up and down the ballot -- especially in states with larger Jewish populations -- while also lobbying Republican lawmakers and administration officials for pro-Israel policies. Adelson, 83, isn’t entirely responsible for the influence enjoyed by the RJC, whose board of directors is a who’s who list of top Republican fundraisers. Lew Eisenberg, the top RNC fundraiser in 2016, is just one such example.
The group is now running digital ads promoting David Friedman, the president’s pick for U.S. ambassador to Israel. The advertising is running nationally and in specific states to put pressure on Democratic senators Chuck Schumer of New York, Dick Durbin of Illinois, Tim Kaine of Virginia, Cory Booker of New Jersey, Chris Murphy of Connecticut, Chris Coons of Delaware and Bill Nelson of Florida.
Pence, who is scheduled to address the gathering Friday evening, is expected to assure RJC members that there’s no distance between the administration and the group’s goals. Trump, meanwhile, has softened some of his campaign pledges to conservative Jews, such as moving the U.S. embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.