Sheldon Adelson, Israeli-American Council (IAC) Chairman Shawn Evenhaim, and Haim Saban on stage at the IAC national conference on Sunday in Washington, DC. Photo: Shahar Azran.

JNS.org – Jewish philanthropist Sheldon Adelson, a major funder of the Republican Party, told a gathering of Israeli Americans that U.S. political parties are “on the same side” when it comes to supporting Israel.

“Everyone in this room—whether you’re a Republican, a Democrat or Independent… when it comes to Israel, we’re on the same side,” Adelson said Sunday at the first national conference of the Israeli-American Council in Washington, DC. He made his remarks while sharing a stage with Israeli American philanthropist Haim Saban, a top funder of the Democratic Party.

Though the media often focuses on Adelson’s political giving, he is also the world’s leading private donor to Jewish education, the Taglit-Birthright Israel program, and Jerusalem’s Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial.

Adelson also commented on the nuclear negotiations between Iran and the P5+1 powers, a group that includes the U.S.

“I wouldn’t just talk, I would take action,” he said. “Not taking action is too costly.”