UPDATE, 5:30 PM: Sounds as if the meeting went well. Adelson and Hansen met for 90 minutes. "They had a very good discussion about Israel, and Ira Hansen passed with flying colors," Adelson lieutenant Andy Abboud told me, adding that Hansen's views on Israel have evolved with the help of another Jewish casino owner, Atlantis boss John Farahi. "I think it is a mistake to think that Ira Hansen is someone that people can't deal with."
--------------------
Incoming Speaker Ira Hansen will meet with Gondolier Numero Uno Sheldon Adelson on Wednesday after old quotes surfaced of his criticism of Israel.
As I reported over the weekend, Hansen used to host a radio show on a conservative station and in 2001, he said, as reported by the Reno News & Review:“Israel totally abuses the rights of the indigenous people that live in that area and forces Jewish settlements into places that aren’t legally part of Israel. It’s a horrible injustice against these people, and it has not been rectified.”
You can imagine how Adelson, a fierce defender of Israel, reacted.
I'm told Hansen immediately reached out to the gaming mogul, asking to explain himself. "He stated emphatically that his commnnts were a mistake," one insider familiar with the meeting told me.
Knowing Adelson, he will not simply accept any apology. Oh, to be a fly on that wall on the Las Vegas Strip today.
UPDATE, 5:30 PM: Sounds as if the meeting went well. Adelson and Hansen met for 90 minutes. "They had a very good discussion about Israel, and Ira Hansen passed with flying colors," Adelson lieutenant Andy Abboud told me, adding that Hansen's views on Israel have evolved with the help of another Jewish casino owner, Atlantis boss John Farahi. "I think it is a mistake to think that Ira Hansen is someone that people can't deal with."
--------------------
Incoming Speaker Ira Hansen will meet with Gondolier Numero Uno Sheldon Adelson on Wednesday after old quotes surfaced of his criticism of Israel.
As I reported over the weekend, Hansen used to host a radio show on a conservative station and in 2001, he said, as reported by the Reno News & Review:“Israel totally abuses the rights of the indigenous people that live in that area and forces Jewish settlements into places that aren’t legally part of Israel. It’s a horrible injustice against these people, and it has not been rectified.”
Comments: