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US billionaire Sheldon Adelson, left, listening to President Shimon Peres during an event at the President's Jerusalem residence, on Sunday. (AP)
Last update - 13:21 16/08/2007
U.S. billionaire Adelson pledges $60 million to birthright program
By Anshel Pfeffer, Haaretz Jewish World Correspondent
Tags: U.S. Jews, Israel, Birthright 

American billionaire Sheldon Adelson Sunday pledged $60 million for the Taglit-birthright israel project, which sponsors trips to Israel for Jewish youths who have never visited the country.

Adelson and his wife, Miriam, announced the donation at an event sponsored by President Shimon Peres at the President's Residence in Jerusalem. Adelson - who last month founded the Hebrew-language newspaper Yisrael Hayom - said that he will transfer half of the sum this year and the remainder in 2008.

In his speech, Adelson also promised to pour more money into the program, saying he intended to ensure that applicants could go to Israel the same year they applied, instead of being put on a waiting list.
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The billionaire's contribution has already enabled Taglit to double the number of participants for this year, to 25,000. The cost per participant is estimated at $2,500.

From the President's Residence, Adelson went on to speak at Taglit's "mega-event," the project's annual ceremony in the capital. The American businessman, whose fortune is estimated at $27 billion, told the crowd that growing up in a poor Boston family, he had had to depend on charity from Jewish philanthropists to go to summer camp.

Thus his past compelled him to donate to Jewish youth, he said.

Joined by Republicans
Accompanying Adelson were some 20 congressmen from the Republican Party, of which he is a staunch supporter. He has been organizing delegations of Republican congressmen and senators for the past 15 years. "They all come back Zionists," he said.

An organizer for Taglit told Haaretz that Adelson shares his "clearly hawkish" views with program participants. "He talks with the participants about the dangers that Israel has to deal with and the risks from radical Islam.

"He passed out copies of a documentary on how Islam is spreading in the West.
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  1.   U.S. billionaire Adelson pledges $60 million to birthright progra 05:50  |  David Ben Hur 13/08/07
  2.   Thank You 06:29  |  lakshmi 13/08/07
  3.   Young Jews, welcome to Israel, our people`s homeland!!! 07:04  |  Anat 13/08/07
  4.   I am a madrich for these trips 07:07  |  idf_sergeant 13/08/07
  5.   Mr. Adelson`s nose 07:14  |  Hannah 13/08/07
  6.   #1 Ben : Israel wants rich Jews 07:17  |  keith 13/08/07
  7.   Islam is spreading in the West 07:19  |  keith 13/08/07
  8.   Adelson is #1 07:21  |  Joe Gelman 13/08/07
  9.   a good thing 07:26  |  jlynch 13/08/07
  10.   to #1 07:32  |  jlynch 13/08/07
  11.   same o same o argument 07:55  |  Zeev 13/08/07
  12.   A generous gift for the future of Israel 07:59  |  Dr. Rona Michelson 13/08/07
  13.   # 1 Taglig Program 08:33  |  silkey 13/08/07
  14.   Reply to David Ben Hur in Montreal (Post No. 1) 08:44  |  Johnny Weintraub 13/08/07
  15.   Right Wing Propaganda Machine 09:20  |  Avi 13/08/07
  16.   Use the money wisely 09:26  |  John Isenhower 13/08/07
  17.   U.S. billionaire Adelson pledges $60 million to help ISM activist 09:40  |  Ali 13/08/07
  18.   it keeps on bothering me... 10:12  |  megs 13/08/07
  19.   Match $60 mil for ISRAEL, not just jewish tourists 10:40  |  new immigrant 13/08/07
  20.   Thank you Mr Adelson 11:38  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 13/08/07
  21.   Hannah #5 11:39  |  S 13/08/07
  22.   Avi (#15) - Yes, Adelson (not your great neighbors) is the enemy 11:42  |  Tod Zuckerman 13/08/07
  23.   generous for the few 12:25  |  Ernst 13/08/07
  24.   to `New immigrant` 12:44  |  Margie in Tel Aviv 13/08/07
  25.   No doubt he also support criminal and terrorist activities. 12:56  |  El-Birawi 13/08/07
  26.   Taglit - Preaching to the Converted? 12:58  |  SM 13/08/07
  27.   Jews Will Never Forget Israel. 13:00  |  Akram Zekaria 13/08/07
  28.   That should ensure 13:06  |  Stephen Isherwood 13/08/07
  29.   #5 False Hannah Alert 14:05  |  Hannah 13/08/07
  30.   Preaching to the Converted? 14:23  |  Jo Jo 13/08/07
  31.   New Immigrant #19 14:33  |  Jo Jo 13/08/07
  32.   New Immigrant #19 14:33  |  Jo Jo 13/08/07
  33.   29 False Hanna 14:44  |  Sam 13/08/07
  34.   education 14:54  |  ron 13/08/07
  35.   God bless him! 15:03  |  Nechama 13/08/07
  36.   FANTASTIC 15:10  |  Nicole 13/08/07
  37.   When a Jew pledges, he delivers... 15:51  |  Christina Smithson 13/08/07
  38.   $60 million to birthright program 16:47  |  Roslyn 13/08/07
  39.   birthright program 16:56  |  bijan 13/08/07
  40.   #1, Wealth and Travel 17:49  |  Eli 13/08/07
  41.   Thank You Mr Adelson 17:54  |  mom of 2 children 13/08/07
  42.   to David Ben Hur 18:19  |  Doug D. Douglas 13/08/07
  43.   Future "Illegal Settlers". 18:21  |  Labhras 13/08/07
  44.   #37 Christina 18:28  |  Labhras 13/08/07
  45.   go and see how cool IDF guys are killing Palestinian women and ch 18:33  |  mehmet 13/08/07
  46.   Mehmet - U go a c how cool Turk troops r killin Kurdish Women/kid 18:50  |  Avi Stein 13/08/07
  47.   Thank you 18:52  |  Nissim Mizrahi 13/08/07
  48.   I met you earlier this summer. Thank you! 19:20  |  Dan Cohen 13/08/07
  49.   Thank you Mr. Adelson! 19:26  |  3 kids on Taglit 13/08/07
  50.   Mr. Adelson 19:26  |  Mark 13/08/07
  51.   A desperate attempt 19:46  |  Ali 13/08/07
  52.   jealous mehmet 19:51  |  Angelique 13/08/07
  53.   Welcome to Israel all of you 19:53  |  Jasmine Murphy 13/08/07
  54.   #44-labhras still doesn`t get it 20:57  |  peter 13/08/07
  55.   El-Birawi - Why always so bitter? 21:14  |  Gina 13/08/07
  56.   Avi - right wing propaganda machine 21:17  |  Hannah 13/08/07
  57.   SICK MAN OF EUROPE 21:55  |  SM 13/08/07
  58.   #45 Mehmet-First apologize for mass murder of Armenians & Kurds ! 22:08  |  Andreas 13/08/07
  59.   #43labarse the unknown lawyer comments 22:15  |  victor hardman 13/08/07
  60.   # 45 Mahmood you`ve got to be busy with kurds.... 22:18  |  Misha 13/08/07
  61.   # 5 It is great the terrible... 22:29  |  Misha 13/08/07
  62.   # 51 O yes, Ali we will... 22:38  |  Misha 13/08/07
  63.   # 44 Especially for you, it is important.... 23:35  |  Misha 13/08/07
  64.   Re 1 Another perspective. 23:46  |  Alan the real one 13/08/07
  65.   Labhras the Labeler 00:19  |  Jeremy 14/08/07
  66.   Mr Adelson 01:09  |  Salty1 14/08/07
  67.   These trips are all about control 01:39  |  Tim 14/08/07
  68.   Ali the racist 02:04  |  ChanahS 14/08/07
  69.   Tim, your jealousy is showing 03:04  |  Gina 14/08/07
  70.   should spend the money to teach israelis ...... 03:17  |  alan 14/08/07
  71.   ali 17 03:20  |  alan 14/08/07
  72.   supporting terrorism