‘Champion of the Jewish People’: Israel Mourns Passing of Philanthropist Sheldon Adelson

Jerusalem, 13 January, 2021 (TPS) -- Israel’s leadership and multiple organizations in the country and around the world expressed sorrow over the passing of American billionaire and generous philanthropist Sheldon Adelson.

Adelson, 87, passed away on Tuesday from complications connected to the treatment he was receiving for cancer.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that he was “heartbroken” by Adelson’s passing.

“He was a wonderful friend to us personally and an incredible champion of the Jewish people, the Jewish state and the alliance between Israel and America,” he said.

“Sheldon unabashedly loved America and cherished the freedom and opportunity it gave him. He worked tirelessly to ensure that very same freedom and opportunity would be given to others in America and around the world,” he added.

“The warmth of his heart, the clarity of his thinking and the decisiveness of his actions were truly exceptional. From humble beginnings in a suburb of Boston, he rose to be one of the world’s greatest entrepreneurs and philanthropists.”

“With his wife Miri he contributed endlessly to strengthening the Jewish people and the Jewish state, funding breakthroughs in medicine and science and advancing higher education. He gave anonymously to help victims of terror and countless other people in need,” the Israeli premier noted.

One of the last acts of kindness Adelson did was to lend his private airplane to Jonathan Pollard and enable him to fulfill his dream and move to Israel.

President Reuven Rivlin stated he was “saddened” by the passing of Sheldon Adelson, “who loved the Jewish people and Israel, was a great American patriot, and who strengthened the bonds between Israel and America with boundless generosity.”

Jerusalem’s Mayor Moshe Lion stated that the city mourns Adelson’s passing, “a true Zionist whom the spirit of Jerusalem beat within him.”

Adelson “worked with all his might for the city of Jerusalem, its security and future, and made a personal and crucial contribution to the relocation of the American Embassy to Jerusalem and the recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel,” he noted.

“We will always remember his special contribution to the people of Israel in general and to the city of Jerusalem in particular,” he said.

“Sheldon Adelson’s life represents the best of the American dream,” Secretary of State Mike Pompeo stated.

“From his service to his country in the US Army, to his entrepreneurial spirit, to his efforts to strengthen the alliance between Israel and the US, Sheldon’s life was one of great consequence,” Pompeo’s statement read.

“The world, Israel and the US are safer because of his work. His philanthropic giving has impacted the world of medicine, education, and the lives of Jewish-Americans. His political involvement strengthened our democracy,” he added.