Exclusive: Romney to host major fundraiser in Jerusalem

[azurnoir]

Presumed Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney will host a fundraising event in Jerusalem at $60,000 or more per plate on July 29, The Jerusalem Post learned on Wednesday.

Delegates are set to fly in from the US for the event, which a Republican source said would be “a small meeting, but a big fundraiser.”
......................................................................................................

The Republican candidate will stay in Jerusalem for two days, Israeli Republican political consultant Jonny Daniels told The Jerusalem Post, during which Romney will meet with President Shimon Peres, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, opposition leader Shelly Yechimovich (Labor) and senior Palestinian officials.
.......................................................................................................

The Romney camp’s biggest concern on his trip to Israel is Israeli agent Jonathan Pollard, according to Daniels, who said both Netanyahu and Peres are expected to raise the issue.

http://www.jpost.com/DiplomacyAndPolitics/Article.aspx?id=277050 .

[AndyTiedye]

1. In Which RMoney Promises Them a Full Invasion of Iran

[holdencaufield]

2. Link Please? NT

[klook]

4. Romney has said

he's perfectly willing to attack Iran without Congressional authorization.

Actual links to future news stories are slated for DU5, I believe. So no link to Romney saying this at the upcoming Jerusalem fundraiser is available at this time.

[Scurrilous]

26. Netanyahu: Iran tops his agenda in Romney meeting

<snip>

"Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu skillfully skirted U.S. politics on Sunday by refusing to endorse either presidential candidate, but openly lamented that Iran's nuclear program remains intact four years since the last election.

The comment by one of the nation's closest allies — with heavy political influence among the U.S. electorate — hinted at a reproach of President Barack Obama, who opposes a near-term military strike on Iran and has focused U.S. policy instead on diplomatic pressure and sanctions.

Iran has defended its nuclear program as peaceful and rebuffed international efforts to dismantle it.

Netanyahu said he will raise the issue with Mitt Romney when he meets with the Republican presidential hopeful on July 28, just as he discussed the matter with Obama as the Democratic candidate in the 2008 election.

The Israeli prime minister said he will tell Romney "about Israel's desire for peace and also about Israel's concern with the arming of Iran with nuclear weapons. Unfortunately, it's still with us four years later," Netanyahu told CBS' "Face the Nation."

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5j2yKsq70cxdJsPUuXitvycGq9_4Q?docId=4a57f3895c9d439bbabd49e3518db3fa

[liberal N proud]

3. Has a Presidential candidate ever held a fundraiser offshore?

I did some searching and can't find one.

[SoutherDem]

5. Is that legal? If so is that part of Citizens United?

If you donate to a campaign you state you are a US citizen.

[azurnoir]

6. IvoteIsrael campaign

About Us

We are a diverse group of Olim, recent-arrivals as well as vatikim from all over the country who are deeply concerned about the safety, security and future of Israel. Most importantly, we want to see a President in the White House who will support and stand by Israel in absolute commitment to its safety, security and right to defend itself.

Since we believe that ‘there is no such thing as friends in politics, only interests,’ we started thinking about how to be proactive about this. One fact that caught our eye was that while the 2000 Bush-Gore Presidential elections all came down to 537 absentee ballots cast in Florida, only 64 of those - out of the many thousands of Floridian-Israelis - were cast from Israel! More recently, the NY 9th Congressional District 2011 special Elections (to replace Anthony Weiner) - a district with huge numbers of olim - were decided by just 2,000 votes, very few by absentee ballot from Israel. There are dozens more of such examples across the 50 states.

http://ivoteisrael.com/about

[SoutherDem]

7. I am not questioning the importance of the Jewish vote

Nor am I taking sides on any Israeli issue.

I am asking about fundraising in a foreign country.

By the way, some would say Florida decision did not come down to 537 absentee ballots but rather the SCOTUS stoping the recount after Bush was ahead. Just saying.

[azurnoir]

8. I was answering your comment

this campaign is aimed at people whom have chosen Israel as their preferred country to reside in yet also maintain US citizenship and are there for eligible to vote here, despite the fact that in some if not most of these cases they choose to never again live in the US

[oberliner]

10. I think the events target expats

As I posted in response to another comment here - Obama has had fundraising events in London, Zurich, Geneva, and Paris.

Edit to Add:

Here's some more info on Obama's fundraising overseas from Politico:
The all-consuming hunt for donors has led President Barack Obama’s campaign to England. And France. And China.

Obama is tapping the network of American citizens living outside the 50 states more than any other presidential campaign has before, with more than a dozen bundlers who have pledged to raise as much as $4.5 million.

<snip>

It’s all legal — the donors are American citizens who pay U.S. taxes — and the net income to the campaigns is paltry compared to the hundreds of millions of dollars raised stateside. Presidential campaigns have long taken in campaign donations from expats and people living in U.S. territories, but Obama’s campaign is focusing on those donations more than ever.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0612/77744.html#ixzz20LQ32SEw

[LeftishBrit]

15. It's illegal for foreigners to donate directly to a campaign; but you can have fundraisers anywhere

Only makes sense in a place where there are a significant number of American expats; but there are in Israel, as in London and some other places where fundraisers have been held..

[AndyTiedye]

27. Foreigners Can Donate to Super-PACs

Citizens United, the gift that keeps on giving to the Repiglickins.

[AndyTiedye]

29. Effectively Yes, by Allowing Anonymous Donations to Super-PACs

While "Citizens United" did not expressly allow foreigners to donate to our campaigns,
it does allow anonymous donations to super-PACs, thus making the prohibition on foreign donations unenforceable.

[oberliner]

9. President Obama’s campaign has put on fundraising events in London, Zurich, Geneva, and Paris

Romney has had fundraisers in Hong Kong and is planning one in London to coincide with the Olympics.

[azurnoir]

11. Didn't Obama visit Israel in 2008?

'odd' you would seem to have forgotten that but I do indeed enjoy your posts about Romney

[azurnoir]

12. will Obama be attending these events himself like Romney is in Israel? n/t

[oberliner]

13. Not sure - but Romney is making a personal appearance at a London fundraiser as well

Don't know if it would be different for Obama, as he is a sitting president.

I believe George Clooney is the main attraction at one of the Obama campaign's Switzerland fundraisers.

[LeftishBrit]

14. Yes, certainly - thought one notable one has just been cancelled

http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entries/bob-diamond-no-longer-hosting-fundraiser-for-romney

[ChazII]

23. George Clooney

held a fundraiser in Switzerland for Pres. Obama but I am not sure if it is considered the same type of event.

[oberliner]

16. Mitt Romney Campaign Scraps $50,000 Per Plate Jerusalem Fundraiser On A Jewish Fasting Day

Mitt Romney's presidential campaign has been forced to scrap a $50,000 per plate fundraiser scheduled to take place during his visit to Jerusalem because the date coincided with a solemn Jewish day of mourning.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/12/mitt-romney-jerusalem-fundraiser_n_1668271.html

[LeftishBrit]

18. Yikes, shows how much Romney actually knows about Israel and Jews

[azurnoir]

19. interesting piece but confusing

from the huffpo piece

"Don't worry, they're not going to not have a fundraiser," he added. "They'll find a way around it maybe by having a breaking of the fast meal combined with a Romney fundraiser."

seems contradictory but maybe that's just me

all in all though it seems to be a gaffe on the part of the Romney campaign but what is really amazing is no one not Jpost or anyone else here pointed this out until huffpo interesting perhaps it was thought that the fund raiser would be attended by Israels 'huge' Mormon community

[oberliner]

20. Read it more carefully

It's not confusing. Here's a hint: "Breaking of the fast" does not mean breakfast.

With respect to the Jerusalem Post piece you posted:

UPDATE: 1:53 p.m. -- A Romney campaign official said that some of the initial reporting in the Jerusalem Post about the fundraiser was not correct, but did not give any specifics.

[azurnoir]

21. I hardly thought "breaking of the fast" meant breakfast when it is a fasting holiday being cited

the confusion I mentioned is that your article is entitled
"Mitt Romney Campaign Scraps $50,000 Per Plate Jerusalem Fundraiser On A Jewish Fasting Day"

but the article goes on to say it was not what it seemed to be, and that it what ever it was may be rescheduled calling into question whether it's "scrapped" or simply rescheduled
and as to JPost's reporting IMO anyone reading both ypour article and the OP can plainly see the $10,000 discrepancy between plate prices in the two articles Jpost cited $60,000 per palte and huffpo said $50,000 per

but thanks for your 'concern'

[oberliner]

22. Have a sense of humor

No concern on my part at all.

Only trying to help!

I agree that the articles don't comport with one another entirely - hence the update.

[zellie]

24. Doesn't matter

he's still a jerk who is going to lose.

[Scurrilous]

25. Republicans in Israel Hail Romney Visit

<snip>

"Mordechei Twersky Reports: It is 7 days and counting to Mitt Romney’s anticipated visit to Israel, and the brain trust of Republicans Abroad-Israel – a politically savvy and supremely confident trio of activists – are maintaining an uncharacteristically modest profile.

“We’re just a small portion of this,” says Kory Bardash, RAI-Israel co-chair, discussing the much-talked-about $50,000-a-head post-Tisha B’av Romney fundraiser which the group has been involved in planning for weeks. “This visit is not about what it will do for our organization.”

Bardash; his co-chair, Marc Zell; and counsel Abraham Katsman acknowledge that the timing of the governor’s visit on the Jewish fast day has made scheduling “tight.” But they say the timing couldn’t be more symbolic.

“I think it dovetails perfectly with the fact that Israelis live under an existential threat,” says Bardash, a native of Parsippany, New Jersey, who works as a financial analyst.

“If there’s any day that represents that existential reality, it’s Tisha B’av,” adds Katsman, an attorney who hails from Seattle, Washington."

http://gestetnerupdates.com/2012/07/22/republicans-in-israel-hail-romney-visit/

[Scurrilous]

28. Romney campaign moves Jerusalem fundraiser to day after Tisha b’Av

<snip>

"A Mitt Romney fundraiser in Jerusalem was changed to the day after Tisha b'Av.

A new invitation sent this week now lists the fundraiser as taking place Monday morning at the King David Hotel. Romney's campaign had come under fire from some religious Jews for calling the fundraiser for Sunday night, although it had been timed for 9:30 p.m., more than an hour after the completion of the fast commemorating the destruction of the ancient Jewish Temples.

Romney at the fundraiser will confer with donors for two hours and pose for photographs. On the original date, his appearance was planned to have lasted 45 minutes.

Casino magnate Sheldon Adelson, a major donor to Republican campaigns as well as Jewish causes, reportedly will make an appearance at the event, which is tagged at $50,000 a donor or a minimum of $100,000 raised."

http://www.jta.org/news/article/2012/07/26/3101851/romney-campaign-moves-jerusalem-fundraiser-to-day-after-tisha-bav