Vladimir Gusinsky, a suspect in the Bank Hapoalim (LSE:BKHD; TASE:POLI) money laundering affair, contributed NIS 35,000 to Shimon Peres's campaign for Labor Party chairman, according to the list of political donations made public yesterday by State Comptroller Micha Lindenstrauss.
Notable Peres contributors included media and communications mogul Haim Saban, with a $100,000 donation, Swiss-Israeli businessman Bruce Rappaport - $100,000, Daniel Abrams - $120,000, businessman Daniel Amar - NIS 34,485, Sami Shamoon - NIS 35,000, industrialist Dov Lautman - NIS 35,000, businessman Poju C. Zabludowicz - NIS 31,500, and Koor's Jonathan Kolber - NIS 20,000.
Likud Party candidate Benjamin Netanyahu received a total of $186,000 in donations from supporters in the US, Canada and the UK to fund his primaries campaign. Among Netanyahu's Israeli supporters: former World Jewish Congress senior vice president Isi Leibler, with a NIS 25,800 contribution, and Federation of Israeli Chambers of Commerce chairman Uriel Lynn, with NIS 6,000.
Former Minister without portfolio Uzi Landau, who withdrew his Likud candidacy, raised $225,000 outside Israel and NIS 27,500 in Israel. His contributors included former Tel Aviv Stock Exchange chairman Meir Chet (NIS 1,000).
Former Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Yisrael Katz received a NIS 35,000 donation from Alon Dankner, and a donation with a cash value of NIS 3,000 from former Israeli Air Force Commander (res.) Binyamin (Benny) Peled.
Former Minister of Foreign Affairs Silvan Shalom's donor roster included notables such as insurance executive Shlomo Eliahu (NIS 40,000), Club Hotel owner Moshe Khakshouri, his partner in Club Hotel Casino Loutraki Yigal Zilka (NIS 40,000), Paz group partner Mordechai (Modi) Ben-Shach (NIS 36,000), insurance executive Avner Kopel (NIS 10,000), Israel Corp. chairman Idan Ofer (NIS 36,452), Adv. Shmuel Klein, an intimate of former Israel Tax Authority director Eitan Rub, (NIS 40,000), and insurance executive Shuki Madanes (NIS 30,000).
Moshe Feiglin, a far-right member of the Likud Party, raised $86,620 outside Israel, and NIS 134,000 in Israel. Outstanding among his contributors was Rabbi Uri Dasberg of the Alon Shvut West Bank settlement (NIS 40,000).
The outstanding contributors to the Labor Party headed by Amir Perez include contractor Igal Ahuvi (NIS 10,000), Benjamin (Benny) Gaon (NIS 10,000), MK Ilana Cohen of the One Nation Party (NIS 8,000), Adv. Talia Livni, legal counsel for the Histadrut (General Federation of Labor in Israel), contributed NIS 8,000, and Perez's heir to the Histadrut party chairmanship, Ofer Eini, also gave NIS 8,000.
Former Minister without portfolio Matan Vilnai also did a great deal of fundraising outside Israel, and brought in a total of $76,000. Among Vilnai's contributors in Israel: the Isaacson family (NIS 26,000), Eddy Akirov, son of Alfred Akirov (NIS 30,000), Modi Ben-Shach (NIS 36,118), textile industrialist Ramzi Gabbay (NIS 1,000), former insurance company owner Joseph (Yossi) Hackmey (NIS 26,400), publisher Zeev Mozes (NIS 10,000), and car importer Tzvi Neta (NIS 35,000).
Contractor Shmuel Dachner (NIS 35,000) and Daniel Amar (NIS 35,757) were prominent among the supporters of former Minister of National Infrastructures Benjamin (Fouad) Ben-Eliezer, in his bid to head the Labor Party.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes.co.il - on Sunday, January 16, 2006