Haim Saban
Encyclopedia
Haim Saban (born 15 October 1944) is an Egyptian
born Israeli
-American television and media proprietor
. With an estimated net worth of $
3.5 billion, he is ranked by Forbes
as the 104th richest person in America
.
boarding school. Expelled for being a troublemaker, he enrolled in a night school where the principal told him: “You’re not cut out for academic studies; you’re cut out for making money.”
Saban is married to Cheryl Saban (née Chackler), with whom he has two children. He also has two stepchildren, Tifany and Heidi Lenhart
. He resides in Beverly Hills, California
.
player and manager with the rock
band The Lions of Judah (Ha'arayot). In 1969 Dave Watts from the British band The Tornados
joined The Lions. That year, the band traveled to England, performed in night clubs in London
and was signed up by Polydor Records
. In July 1969, the band appeared on the BBC TV programme Colour Me Pop
. The Lions recorded a single, "Our Love's A Growing Thing”, but it was not released in the UK due to financial difficulties. The band returned to Israel and Saban focused on being a music promoter.
In the early 1970s Saban moved to France where he worked as a music producer. His clients included Noam Kaniel
, Mike Brant
and Shuki & Aviva
). He also launched a record company with Shuki Levy
.
In 1978 and 1982, Saban used the pseudonym Kussa for music/lyrics writing credits on four records for which he also served as producer using his real name. Since then, he has frequently used the name Kussa Mahchi for his composing credits on Saban Entertainment productions, including the Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers: The Movie theme song.
became known for soundtrack
compositions for children's television programs of the 1980s. Although Levy and Saban composed for their own properties (such as Kidd Video
and Maple Town), they scored for other production companies as well (such as Inspector Gadget
, The Mysterious Cities of Gold, M.A.S.K.
, Dinosaucers
, Dragon Quest, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe
, She-Ra: Princess of Power
, and Jayce and the Wheeled Warriors
). In 1998, The Hollywood Reporter
reported that he did not actually compose all the music (totalling 3,700 works in 2008) he is credited for; ten composers threatened to sue and Saban settled out of court.
In the 1990s, Saban's company became best known for the production of Power Rangers
, Masked Rider
, VR Troopers
and Big Bad Beetleborgs
, which were Western adaptations of Japanese tokusatsu
shows.
In 2003, he headed the $5.7 billion purchase of Kirch Media Group
, the then-bankrupt German
media
conglomerate.
would sell Fox Family Worldwide Inc for $5.3 billion to The Walt Disney Company
. and on October 24, 2001, the sale was completed and the network was renamed ABC Family
.Saban profited about $1.6 billion from this sale.
led a group of investors bidding for Univision Communications
, the largest Spanish-language
media company in the United States
. Other investors in the Saban-led group were Texas Pacific Group
of Fort Worth, Texas
and Thomas H. Lee Partners
. The group was successful in acquiring Univision
with a bid valued at $13.7 billion (USD
).
"I used to be a real leftist. I remember Arik Sharon [the leader of Israel's right-wing Likud Party] coming here, to my house, a few months before Camp David
, when he was still leader of the opposition. He told me there would be no deal because [Yassir] Arafat would not sign. I told myself that there was nothing to be done — these right-wingers were simply insane. I had no doubt that there would be a deal and the problems would be resolved. History proved that Sharon was right and I was wrong. In matters relating to security, that moved me to the right. Very far to the right...When there is a terrorist attack, I am [Avigdor] Lieberman. Sometimes to the right of Lieberman. For two days I really love Lieberman. But afterward I come back to reality. Look, I don't see a solution today."
Saban has been a generous and consistent donor to the United States Democratic Party
according to his mandatory Federal Election Commission
filings. Mother Jones
, in an analysis of the major donors to the campaigns of 1998 election cycle, ranked Saban 155th among individual donors. Amy Paris noted that Saban's Clinton-era "generosity did not go unrewarded. During the Clinton administration
, the entertainment executive served on the President's Export Council, advising the White House
on trade issues." The New York Times reported that Haim and his wife "slept in the White House several times during President Clinton's two terms." Saban remains close friends to the former President. Clinton described Saban as a "very good friend and supporter." Saban contributed between $5 million to $10 million to the William J. Clinton Foundation
.
During the 2000 presidential election
, Saban increased his rank to 5th among individual donors with a combined contribution of $1,250,500.Matthew Yglesias wrote that "Saban was the largest overall contributor to the Democratic National Committee
during the 2001–2002 cycle." Saban's donations during that 2001–2002 period exceeded $10 million, the largest donation the DNC has received from a single source up to that time.
In September 2004, Hillary Clinton described Saban as a very good friend, supporter and adviser: "I am grateful for his commitment to Israel, to a just and lasting peace in the Middle East and to my foundation's work, particularly on reconciliation issues."In May 2007, Haim publicly declared his support for Clinton in 2008 presidential election
.In June 2007, Saban and Steven Spielberg
co-hosted a Hillary Clinton fundraiser at the house of Peter Chernin
, the President of News Corporation
. According to the Los Angeles Times
, the fundraiser brought in over $850,000.
In March 2008, Saban was among a group of major Jewish donors to sign a letter to Democratic Party house leader
Nancy Pelosi
warning her to "keep out of the Democratic presidential primaries." The donors, who "were strong supporters of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton presidential campaign", "were incensed by a March 16 interview in which Pelosi said that party 'superdelegates' should heed the will of the majority in selecting a candidate." The letter to Pelosi stated the donors "have been strong supporters of the DCCC
" and implied, according to The Jewish Telegraphic Agency, that Pelosi could lose their financial support in important upcoming congressional elections.
On May 19, 2008, it was reported that Haim Saban had "offered $1 million to the Young Democrats of America
during a phone conversation in which he also pressed for the organization's two uncommitted superdelegates to endorse the New York Democrat."
Saban has also made donations to members of the Republican Party
including a 2003 contribution to George W. Bush
's 2004 re-election campaign.
. The Saban Center is part of the larger Brookings Institution
think tank
. The Saban Center aims to provide policy makers in government with information and analysis regarding America's foreign policy
in the Middle East
. Saban recruited Martin Indyk
to direct the center.
Haim Saban discussed his views on the Middle East and Persian Gulf region in great detail in a 2006 interview with Haaretz
. Particularly notable were his comments regarding Iran: "When I see Ahmadinejad, I see Hitler. They speak the same language. His motivation is also clear: the return of the Mahdi is a supreme goal. And for a religious person of deep self-persuasion, that supreme goal is worth the liquidation of five and a half million Jews. We cannot allow ourselves that. Nuclear weapons in the hands of a religious leadership that is convinced that the annihilation of Israel will bring about the emergence of a new Muslim caliphate? Israel cannot allow that. This is no game. It's truly an existential danger."
and Congressman Mark Kirk
and academics David Makovsky, Robert Satloff
and Dennis Ross
.
if she did not select Ms. Harman for the intelligence post."
redistricting reform. Saban contributed $100,000 to pass California's 2008 redistricting reform, Proposition 11
, which created a Citizens Redistricting Commission
to redraw California's state political boundaries, but not U.S. Congressional districts. Saban contributed $2,000,000 to support Proposition27
, California's proposed 2010 repeal of Proposition 11
, the 2008 redistricting reform—the same reform that Haim Saban previously supported with a $100,000 contribution. He joined list of other well-connected, big-money donors to the Democratic Party in supporting Proposition27
.
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
born Israeli
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
-American television and media proprietor
Media proprietor
A media proprietor is a person who controls, either through personal ownership or a dominant position in any media enterprise. Those with significant control of a public company in the mass media may also be called "media moguls", "tycoons", "barons", or "bosses".The figure of the media proprietor...
. With an estimated net worth of $
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
3.5 billion, he is ranked by Forbes
Forbes
Forbes is an American publishing and media company. Its flagship publication, the Forbes magazine, is published biweekly. Its primary competitors in the national business magazine category are Fortune, which is also published biweekly, and Business Week...
as the 104th richest person in America
Forbes 400
The Forbes 400 or 400 Richest Americans is a list published by Forbes Magazine magazine of the wealthiest 400 Americans, ranked by net worth. The list is published annually in September, and 2010 marks the 29th issue. The 400 was started by Malcom Forbes in 1982 and treats those in the list like...
.
Biography
In 1956, the Saban family immigrated to Israel along with the bulk of the Egyptian Jewish community. Saban was sent to a Youth AliyahYouth Aliyah
Szold was initially skeptical about the merits of Freier's proposal, as she believed that Germany offered better educational opportunities for Jewish children than Palestine. However, Hitler's rise to power convinced her otherwise. The Nuremberg Laws were enacted in 1935 and on 31 March 1936 German...
boarding school. Expelled for being a troublemaker, he enrolled in a night school where the principal told him: “You’re not cut out for academic studies; you’re cut out for making money.”
Saban is married to Cheryl Saban (née Chackler), with whom he has two children. He also has two stepchildren, Tifany and Heidi Lenhart
Heidi Lenhart
Heidi Noelle Lenhart is an American actress, best known for her role as Jenny Garrison in the American TV series California Dreams and Jenny Caldwell in the Au Pair films....
. He resides in Beverly Hills, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.
Music career
Saban started his career in 1966 as a bassBass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
player and manager with the rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band The Lions of Judah (Ha'arayot). In 1969 Dave Watts from the British band The Tornados
The Tornados
The Tornados were an English instrumental group of the 1960s that acted as backing group for many of record producer Joe Meek's productions and also for singer Billy Fury. They enjoyed several chart hits in their own right, including the UK and U.S. Number One "Telstar" , the first U.S...
joined The Lions. That year, the band traveled to England, performed in night clubs in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and was signed up by Polydor Records
Polydor Records
Polydor is a record label owned by Universal Music Group, headquartered in the United Kingdom.-Beginnings:Polydor was originally an independent branch of the Deutsche Grammophon Gesellschaft. Its name was first used as an export label in 1924, the British and German branches of the Gramophone...
. In July 1969, the band appeared on the BBC TV programme Colour Me Pop
Colour Me Pop
Colour Me Pop was a British music TV programmebroadcast on BBC2 from 1968-1969. It was a spin-off from the BBC 2 arts magazine show Late Night Line-Up. Designed to celebrate the new introduction of colour to British television, it was directed by Steve Turner, and showcased half-hour sets by pop...
. The Lions recorded a single, "Our Love's A Growing Thing”, but it was not released in the UK due to financial difficulties. The band returned to Israel and Saban focused on being a music promoter.
In the early 1970s Saban moved to France where he worked as a music producer. His clients included Noam Kaniel
Noam Kaniel
Noam, full name Noam Kaniel is a singer and composer, who has sold over 8 million records , and is known for composing or performing the theme songs of many animated series including X-Men, Goldorak, The Mysterious Cities of Gold, Heathcliff and Code Lyoko, to mention just a few.Noam began singing...
, Mike Brant
Mike Brant
Mike Brant was an Israeli pop star who achieved fame after moving to France. His most successful hit was "Laisse-moi t'aimer"...
and Shuki & Aviva
Shuki Levy
Shuki Levy is a music composer and television writer, director, and executive producer. Levy's best known work is soundtrack compositions for children's television programs of the 1980s, such as Inspector Gadget, The Mysterious Cities of Gold, M.A.S.K., Dinosaucers, Dragon Quest, He-Man and the...
). He also launched a record company with Shuki Levy
Shuki Levy
Shuki Levy is a music composer and television writer, director, and executive producer. Levy's best known work is soundtrack compositions for children's television programs of the 1980s, such as Inspector Gadget, The Mysterious Cities of Gold, M.A.S.K., Dinosaucers, Dragon Quest, He-Man and the...
.
In 1978 and 1982, Saban used the pseudonym Kussa for music/lyrics writing credits on four records for which he also served as producer using his real name. Since then, he has frequently used the name Kussa Mahchi for his composing credits on Saban Entertainment productions, including the Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers: The Movie theme song.
Saban Entertainment
In the United States, he became a television producer, founding Saban Entertainment in 1988. During that time, Haim Saban and partner Shuki LevyShuki Levy
Shuki Levy is a music composer and television writer, director, and executive producer. Levy's best known work is soundtrack compositions for children's television programs of the 1980s, such as Inspector Gadget, The Mysterious Cities of Gold, M.A.S.K., Dinosaucers, Dragon Quest, He-Man and the...
became known for soundtrack
Soundtrack
A soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...
compositions for children's television programs of the 1980s. Although Levy and Saban composed for their own properties (such as Kidd Video
Kidd Video
Kidd Video was a Saturday morning cartoon created by DiC Entertainment in association with Saban Entertainment. Its original run was on NBC from 1984 to 1985, but continued in reruns on the network until 1987, when CBS picked the show up...
and Maple Town), they scored for other production companies as well (such as Inspector Gadget
Inspector Gadget
Inspector Gadget is an animated television series that revolves around the adventures of a clumsy, simple-witted cyborg detective named Inspector Gadget – a human being with various bionic gadgets built into his body. Gadget's arch-nemesis is Dr...
, The Mysterious Cities of Gold, M.A.S.K.
M.A.S.K.
M.A.S.K. is an animated television series directed by several uncredited Japanese studios, KK C&D Asia, Studio Juno, Studio World, Ashi Production , and produced by the French-American DIC Enterprises, Inc and also the toyline of the same name sold by Kenner.-History:A total of 75...
, Dinosaucers
Dinosaucers
Dinosaucers Dinosaucers Dinosaucers (known in Japan as: is an animated television series co-produced in the United States, Canada and Japan. It was created by DIC Entertainment and Madhouse which has done the overseas animation and in association with Ellipse Programmé and Nelvana. This animated...
, Dragon Quest, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe
He-Man and the Masters of the Universe
He-Man and the Masters of the Universe is an American animated television series produced by Filmation based on Mattel's successful toy line Masters of the Universe...
, She-Ra: Princess of Power
She-Ra: Princess of Power
She-Ra: Princess of Power is an American animated television series produced in 1985 by Filmation. It is a spinoff of Filmation's highly successful He-Man and the Masters of the Universe series, aimed primarily at a young girls' audience to counter-balance the latter show's popularity with boys...
, and Jayce and the Wheeled Warriors
Jayce and the Wheeled Warriors
Jayce and the Wheeled Warriors is a French/North American animated TV show which first aired on September 16, 1985. It was produced by DIC Entertainment , and animated by Japanese animation studios Sunrise, Shaft, Studio Giants, Studio Look and Swan Production...
). In 1998, The Hollywood Reporter
The Hollywood Reporter
Formerly a daily trade magazine, The Hollywood Reporter re-launched in late 2010 as a unique hybrid publication serving the entertainment industry and a consumer audience...
reported that he did not actually compose all the music (totalling 3,700 works in 2008) he is credited for; ten composers threatened to sue and Saban settled out of court.
In the 1990s, Saban's company became best known for the production of Power Rangers
Power Rangers
Power Rangers is a long-running American entertainment and merchandising franchise built around a live action children's television series featuring teams of costumed heroes...
, Masked Rider
Masked Rider (TV series)
Masked Rider is an American adaptation of the Japanese television series Kamen Rider Black RX, the ninth in a line of series in the popular Kamen Rider Series franchise. It was produced by Saban and aired on FOX part of the Fox Kids program block from September 16, 1995 to August 31, 1996 and then...
, VR Troopers
VR Troopers
VR Troopers was a syndicated live action show produced by Saban from 1994 to 1996...
and Big Bad Beetleborgs
Big Bad Beetleborgs
Big Bad Beetleborgs is an American television series produced by Saban Entertainment. It aired for two seasons on Fox Kids between September 7, 1996 and March 2, 1998. Reruns later aired on UPN Kids during 1998-1999...
, which were Western adaptations of Japanese tokusatsu
Tokusatsu
is a Japanese term that applies to any live-action film or television drama that usually features superheroes and makes considerable use of special effects ....
shows.
In 2003, he headed the $5.7 billion purchase of Kirch Media Group
Kirch Group
KirchGruppe was a German media group founded by Leo Kirch. The group collapsed in 2002 largely due to the debts associated with the purchase of sports rights for its television channels and the launch of pay-TV services....
, the then-bankrupt German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
media
Mass media
Mass media refers collectively to all media technologies which are intended to reach a large audience via mass communication. Broadcast media transmit their information electronically and comprise of television, film and radio, movies, CDs, DVDs and some other gadgets like cameras or video consoles...
conglomerate.
ABC Family
On July 23, 2001, Saban announced that he and News CorporationNews Corporation
News Corporation or News Corp. is an American multinational media conglomerate. It is the world's second-largest media conglomerate as of 2011 in terms of revenue, and the world's third largest in entertainment as of 2009, although the BBC remains the world's largest broadcaster...
would sell Fox Family Worldwide Inc for $5.3 billion to The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company is the largest media conglomerate in the world in terms of revenue. Founded on October 16, 1923, by Walt and Roy Disney as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, Walt Disney Productions established itself as a leader in the American animation industry before diversifying into...
. and on October 24, 2001, the sale was completed and the network was renamed ABC Family
ABC Family
ABC Family, stylized as abc family, is an American television network, owned by ABC Family Worldwide Inc., a subsidiary of the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company...
.Saban profited about $1.6 billion from this sale.
Univision
On June 27, 2006, Saban Capital GroupSaban Capital Group
Saban Capital Group is a global private investment firm based in Los Angeles, California focused on media, entertainment, and communications investments. Formed in 2001 by Haim Saban, Saban Capital Group owns Saban Brands, part of Univision Communications, and part of Tiger Gate Entertainment...
led a group of investors bidding for Univision Communications
Univision Communications
Univision Communications is an American Spanish language media company in the United States. Its headquarters are in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. Prior to 2007, the headquarters were in Century City, Los Angeles, California, USA.- History :...
, the largest Spanish-language
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
media company in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Other investors in the Saban-led group were Texas Pacific Group
Texas Pacific Group
TPG Capital is one of the largest private equity investment firms globally, focused on leveraged buyout, growth capital and leveraged recapitalization investments in distressed companies and turnaround situations. TPG also manages investment funds specializing in growth capital, venture capital,...
of Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth is the 16th-largest city in the United States of America and the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas. Located in North Central Texas, just southeast of the Texas Panhandle, the city is a cultural gateway into the American West and covers nearly in Tarrant, Parker, Denton, and...
and Thomas H. Lee Partners
Thomas H. Lee Partners
Thomas H. Lee Partners is a private equity firm based in Boston, Massachusetts specializing in leveraged buyouts, growth capital, special situations, industry consolidations, and recapitalizations....
. The group was successful in acquiring Univision
Univision
Univision is a Spanish-language television network in the United States. It has the largest audience of Spanish language television viewers according to Nielsen ratings. Randy Falco, COO, has been in charge of the company since the departure of Univision Communications president and CEO Joe Uva...
with a bid valued at $13.7 billion (USD
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
).
Politics
Saban became involved in politics in the mid-1990s when he felt that support for Israel was slipping in the United States.He says his views have shifted over the years:"I used to be a real leftist. I remember Arik Sharon [the leader of Israel's right-wing Likud Party] coming here, to my house, a few months before Camp David
Camp David
Camp David is the country retreat of the President of the United States and his guests. It is located in low wooded hills about 60 mi north-northwest of Washington, D.C., on the property of Catoctin Mountain Park in unincorporated Frederick County, Maryland, near Thurmont, at an elevation of...
, when he was still leader of the opposition. He told me there would be no deal because [Yassir] Arafat would not sign. I told myself that there was nothing to be done — these right-wingers were simply insane. I had no doubt that there would be a deal and the problems would be resolved. History proved that Sharon was right and I was wrong. In matters relating to security, that moved me to the right. Very far to the right...When there is a terrorist attack, I am [Avigdor] Lieberman. Sometimes to the right of Lieberman. For two days I really love Lieberman. But afterward I come back to reality. Look, I don't see a solution today."
Saban has been a generous and consistent donor to the United States Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
according to his mandatory Federal Election Commission
Federal Election Commission
The Federal Election Commission is an independent regulatory agency that was founded in 1975 by the United States Congress to regulate the campaign finance legislation in the United States. It was created in a provision of the 1975 amendment to the Federal Election Campaign Act...
filings. Mother Jones
Mother Jones (magazine)
Mother Jones is an American independent news organization, featuring investigative and breaking news reporting on politics, the environment, human rights, and culture. Mother Jones has been nominated for 23 National Magazine Awards and has won six times, including for General Excellence in 2001,...
, in an analysis of the major donors to the campaigns of 1998 election cycle, ranked Saban 155th among individual donors. Amy Paris noted that Saban's Clinton-era "generosity did not go unrewarded. During the Clinton administration
Presidency of Bill Clinton
The United States Presidency of Bill Clinton, also known as the Clinton Administration, was the executive branch of the federal government of the United States from January 20, 1993 to January 20, 2001. Clinton was the first Democratic president since Franklin D. Roosevelt to win a second full term...
, the entertainment executive served on the President's Export Council, advising the White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
on trade issues." The New York Times reported that Haim and his wife "slept in the White House several times during President Clinton's two terms." Saban remains close friends to the former President. Clinton described Saban as a "very good friend and supporter." Saban contributed between $5 million to $10 million to the William J. Clinton Foundation
Clinton Foundation
The William J. Clinton Foundation is a foundation established by former President of the United States Bill Clinton with the stated mission to "strengthen the capacity of people throughout the world to meet the challenges of global interdependence." The Foundation focuses on four critical areas:...
.
During the 2000 presidential election
United States presidential election, 2000
The United States presidential election of 2000 was a contest between Republican candidate George W. Bush, then-governor of Texas and son of former president George H. W. Bush , and Democratic candidate Al Gore, then-Vice President....
, Saban increased his rank to 5th among individual donors with a combined contribution of $1,250,500.Matthew Yglesias wrote that "Saban was the largest overall contributor to the Democratic National Committee
Democratic National Committee
The Democratic National Committee is the principal organization governing the United States Democratic Party on a day to day basis. While it is responsible for overseeing the process of writing a platform every four years, the DNC's central focus is on campaign and political activity in support...
during the 2001–2002 cycle." Saban's donations during that 2001–2002 period exceeded $10 million, the largest donation the DNC has received from a single source up to that time.
In September 2004, Hillary Clinton described Saban as a very good friend, supporter and adviser: "I am grateful for his commitment to Israel, to a just and lasting peace in the Middle East and to my foundation's work, particularly on reconciliation issues."In May 2007, Haim publicly declared his support for Clinton in 2008 presidential election
United States presidential election, 2008
The United States presidential election of 2008 was the 56th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on November 4, 2008. Democrat Barack Obama, then the junior United States Senator from Illinois, defeated Republican John McCain, the senior U.S. Senator from Arizona. Obama received 365...
.In June 2007, Saban and Steven Spielberg
Steven Spielberg
Steven Allan Spielberg KBE is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, video game designer, and studio entrepreneur. In a career of more than four decades, Spielberg's films have covered many themes and genres. Spielberg's early science-fiction and adventure films were seen as an...
co-hosted a Hillary Clinton fundraiser at the house of Peter Chernin
Peter Chernin
Peter Chernin currently owns and runs Chernin Entertainment and The Chernin Group, both of which he founded in 2009. He was formerly President and COO of News Corporation, and Chairman and CEO of Fox Entertainment Group. He is a Corporate Director for American Express and sits on the Board of...
, the President of News Corporation
News Corporation
News Corporation or News Corp. is an American multinational media conglomerate. It is the world's second-largest media conglomerate as of 2011 in terms of revenue, and the world's third largest in entertainment as of 2009, although the BBC remains the world's largest broadcaster...
. According to the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
, the fundraiser brought in over $850,000.
In March 2008, Saban was among a group of major Jewish donors to sign a letter to Democratic Party house leader
House Leader
In Canada, each political party with representation in the House of Commons has a House Leader who is a front bench Member of Parliament and an expert in parliamentary procedure...
Nancy Pelosi
Nancy Pelosi
Nancy Patricia D'Alesandro Pelosi is the Minority Leader of the United States House of Representatives and served as the 60th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 2007 to 2011...
warning her to "keep out of the Democratic presidential primaries." The donors, who "were strong supporters of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton presidential campaign", "were incensed by a March 16 interview in which Pelosi said that party 'superdelegates' should heed the will of the majority in selecting a candidate." The letter to Pelosi stated the donors "have been strong supporters of the DCCC
DCCC
You may be looking for:*Davidson County Community College*Dodge City Community College*Delaware County Community College*Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee*Derbyshire County Cricket Club*Durham County Cricket Club* The number 800 in Roman numerals....
" and implied, according to The Jewish Telegraphic Agency, that Pelosi could lose their financial support in important upcoming congressional elections.
On May 19, 2008, it was reported that Haim Saban had "offered $1 million to the Young Democrats of America
Young Democrats of America
The Young Democrats of America , founded in 1932, is the official youth arm of the Democratic Party of the United States, although it severed official ties with the Democratic National Committee following passage of the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 and became an independent 527 group...
during a phone conversation in which he also pressed for the organization's two uncommitted superdelegates to endorse the New York Democrat."
Saban has also made donations to members of the Republican Party
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
including a 2003 contribution to George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
's 2004 re-election campaign.
Saban Center for Middle East Policy
In 2002 Saban provided an initial grant of 13 million USD and a pledge of additional funds to create the Saban Center for Middle East Policy, a foreign policy think tank based in Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
. The Saban Center is part of the larger Brookings Institution
Brookings Institution
The Brookings Institution is a nonprofit public policy organization based in Washington, D.C., in the United States. One of Washington's oldest think tanks, Brookings conducts research and education in the social sciences, primarily in economics, metropolitan policy, governance, foreign policy, and...
think tank
Think tank
A think tank is an organization that conducts research and engages in advocacy in areas such as social policy, political strategy, economics, military, and technology issues. Most think tanks are non-profit organizations, which some countries such as the United States and Canada provide with tax...
. The Saban Center aims to provide policy makers in government with information and analysis regarding America's foreign policy
Foreign policy
A country's foreign policy, also called the foreign relations policy, consists of self-interest strategies chosen by the state to safeguard its national interests and to achieve its goals within international relations milieu. The approaches are strategically employed to interact with other countries...
in the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
. Saban recruited Martin Indyk
Martin Indyk
Martin Sean Indyk is Vice President and Director for Foreign Policy at the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C. Indyk served as United States ambassador to Israel and Assistant Secretary of State for Near East Affairs during the Clinton Administration. He is known as the framer of the U.S...
to direct the center.
Haim Saban discussed his views on the Middle East and Persian Gulf region in great detail in a 2006 interview with Haaretz
Haaretz
Haaretz is Israel's oldest daily newspaper. It was founded in 1918 and is now published in both Hebrew and English in Berliner format. The English edition is published and sold together with the International Herald Tribune. Both Hebrew and English editions can be read on the Internet...
. Particularly notable were his comments regarding Iran: "When I see Ahmadinejad, I see Hitler. They speak the same language. His motivation is also clear: the return of the Mahdi is a supreme goal. And for a religious person of deep self-persuasion, that supreme goal is worth the liquidation of five and a half million Jews. We cannot allow ourselves that. Nuclear weapons in the hands of a religious leadership that is convinced that the annihilation of Israel will bring about the emergence of a new Muslim caliphate? Israel cannot allow that. This is no game. It's truly an existential danger."
Saban National Political Leadership Training Seminar
Saban sponsors the American-Israel Public Affairs Committee's Saban National Political Leadership Training Seminar, a series of semiannual seminars in Washington to provide college student activists for three days of intensive pro-Israel advocacy training. The seminars provide up to 300 students from a hundred campuses with training in order to "prepare for challenges and opportunities on their campuses and [the students] left Washington prepared to mobilize for legislative and electoral impact during the next school year and into campaign '08." Among the prominent figures to have addressed the seminars are Senator Evan BayhEvan Bayh
Birch Evans "Evan" Bayh III is a lawyer, advisor and former Democratic politician who served as the junior U.S. Senator from Indiana from 1999 to 2011. He earlier served as the 46th Governor of Indiana from 1989 to 1997. Bayh is a current Fox News contributor as of March 14, 2011.Bayh first held...
and Congressman Mark Kirk
Mark Kirk
Mark Steven Kirk is the junior United States Senator from Illinois and a member of the Republican Party. Previously, Kirk was a member of the United States House of Representatives, representing Illinois's 10th congressional district....
and academics David Makovsky, Robert Satloff
Robert Satloff
Robert Satloff is an American writer and, since January 1993, the executive director of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy . Satloff's expertise includes "U.S...
and Dennis Ross
Dennis Ross
Dennis B. Ross is an American diplomat and author. He has served as the Director of Policy Planning in the State Department under President George H. W...
.
Jane Harman AIPAC controversy
Regarding Jane Harman AIPAC Controversy, in April 2009, New York Times, quoting anonymous sources, said a caller promised her that Saban would withhold campaign contributions to Representative Nancy PelosiNancy Pelosi
Nancy Patricia D'Alesandro Pelosi is the Minority Leader of the United States House of Representatives and served as the 60th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 2007 to 2011...
if she did not select Ms. Harman for the intelligence post."
California Redistricting
In 2005, Saban spent $100,000 to oppose California's 2005 Proposition 77California Proposition 77 (2005)
Proposition 77 was a California ballot proposition on the 2005 California special election ballot.-Official summary:From the California Attorney General:Redistricting...
redistricting reform. Saban contributed $100,000 to pass California's 2008 redistricting reform, Proposition 11
California Proposition 11 (2008)
Proposition 11 of 2008 was a law enacted by California voters that placed the power to draw electoral boundaries for State Assembly and State Senate districts in a Citizens Redistricting Commission, as opposed to the State Legislature. To do this the Act amended both the Constitution of California...
, which created a Citizens Redistricting Commission
Citizens Redistricting Commission
The Citizens Redistricting Commission is the redistricting organization for the state of California. It is responsible for determining the boundaries for the Senate, Assembly, and Board of Equalization districts in the state. The 14-member commission consists of five Democrats, five Republicans,...
to redraw California's state political boundaries, but not U.S. Congressional districts. Saban contributed $2,000,000 to support Proposition27
California Proposition 27 (2010)
Proposition 27 was an unsuccessful ballot proposition on the November 2, 2010 ballot in California, placed there by the initiative process. If approved, this measure would have repealed California Proposition 11 , which authorized the creation of the California Citizens Redistricting Commission to...
, California's proposed 2010 repeal of Proposition 11
California Proposition 11 (2008)
Proposition 11 of 2008 was a law enacted by California voters that placed the power to draw electoral boundaries for State Assembly and State Senate districts in a Citizens Redistricting Commission, as opposed to the State Legislature. To do this the Act amended both the Constitution of California...
, the 2008 redistricting reform—the same reform that Haim Saban previously supported with a $100,000 contribution. He joined list of other well-connected, big-money donors to the Democratic Party in supporting Proposition27
California Proposition 27 (2010)
Proposition 27 was an unsuccessful ballot proposition on the November 2, 2010 ballot in California, placed there by the initiative process. If approved, this measure would have repealed California Proposition 11 , which authorized the creation of the California Citizens Redistricting Commission to...
.
External links
- Haim Saban at Saban Capital GroupSaban Capital GroupSaban Capital Group is a global private investment firm based in Los Angeles, California focused on media, entertainment, and communications investments. Formed in 2001 by Haim Saban, Saban Capital Group owns Saban Brands, part of Univision Communications, and part of Tiger Gate Entertainment...