Will Jewish Billionaires Heed Sheldon Adelson’s Call To Put Money Behind Donald Trump?

Nathan Guttman writes: Las Vegas billionaire Sheldon Adelson has reached out to Republican Jewish leaders asking them to follow his lead and contribute to Trump’s presidential campaign.
“Like many of you, I do not agree with him on every issue,” Adelson wrote board members of the Republican Jewish Coalition in the Monday email, which was first reported by The Associated Press. “However, I will not sit idly by and let Hillary Clinton become the next president. The consequences to our country, and Israel, are far too great to take that risk.”
Jewish donors have made up in the past an estimated quarter of direct funding for Republican presidential campaigns and may have played an even greater role in Super PAC funding. For Trump, who is reportedly interested in raising $1 billion, Jewish donors, if they follow Adelson’s lead, could prove valuable not only in providing major funds but also in signaling to other centrist establishment contributors that Trump represents a worthy political investment.
Some major Jewish donors, including New York hedge fund billionaire Paul Singer, have expressed strong public positions against Trump and are unlikely to heed Adelson’s call.