Thank you, Sheldon.
Follow Israel Hayom on Facebook and Twitter
Sheldon Adelson was a Jew who loved his people and his country passionately. He was a goodhearted, loyal friend, and I'm very pained at his passing. It also hurts to think about the difficulty Miri, his wife, who took such good care of him, and his loving family are having. It is a comfort that his deeds will go down in the Jewish people's Book of Chronicles.
Sheldon Adelson was not an observant Jew, but his heroic actions for the sake of the state and the people were godly. I remember that at one of our meetings, he saw on his phone that his company's stock had gained. He told me with a smile, "Listen, I just made $150 million," but immediately followed it up with, "And every cent will go to my people."
Only a few know how hard Adelson and his wife forked for Israel's security, to keep the Land of Israel whole and to continue the chain of Jewish existence from one generation to the next. These might sound like grandiose words, but it's the truth.
Everyone knows about his contribution to projects like Taglit-Birthright, to Israeli academia, and Ariel University in Samaria, including the School of Medicine we had the privilege of fighting for and founding, as well as plenty of other projects. All these are only the part that's out in the open. He did a lot more in secret.
Adelson put all his weight behind getting the US to relocate its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, even when there were Israelis leaders who balked at the move. By doing so, the dear philanthropist effectively broke the glass ceiling of Jerusalem being recognized as Israel's capital. He held endless meetings with anyone he could in order to pull the US out of the bad 2015 Iran nuclear deal, and worked to secure American recognition of the Golan Heights as Israeli – as well as many other discreet activities.
Dear Sheldon, you're up in Heaven now. Rest in peace, and know that with God's help, we will continue to defend the state and the people you loved so much. May your memory be a blessing.
Subscribe to Israel Hayom's daily newsletter and never miss our top stories!
