Overview: Haim Saban is a longtime political player with deep ties to the Clinton family. A major supporter of establishment Democrats and Israel, Saban considers his philanthropy strategy to be a 50-50 split between the U.S. and Israel. Saban’s relatively more conservative priorities on Israel could butt up against his commitments to Democrats as the party begins to adopt more Palestinian-friendly rhetoric.
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Total Donated (2016-2020): $14,207,700
Top Recipients: Hillary Clinton, Senate Majority PAC
Key Issues: Israel
Largest Donation to Date: $1,115,000 to Priorities USA Action
Profile: A career in network television has made Haim Saban one of the most influential Democratic donors around. The Israeli-American dual citizen describes his philanthropy strategy as “50-50” between the two countries, but his closest political ally has long been the Clinton family. Saban’s personal connection to Bill and Hillary Clinton has long been chronicled, and he was one of the main backers of Clinton’s 2016 presidential run. It’s not just Clinton: Saban has been a leading Democratic donor ever since the 2002 midterms and continues to fund Democratic Party and liberal PACs with large checks. Still, all the while, Saban has called himself a single-issue donor, and that issue is Israel.
Strengthening Israeli-American relations is Saban’s top priority. He and his wife Cheryl consistently chair the Friends of the Israeli Defense Forces gala and he has given to a variety of pro-Israel groups in the U.S. Saban has become notably more conservative on Israel over the last two decades, even joining forces with conservatives who share his views—like when he and right-wing mega-donor Sheldon Adelson teamed up to fund an anti-BDS group for college campuses (which Saban would duck out of, reportedly because it was too right-wing).
Saban has also expressed mixed feelings about President Donald Trump’s stance on Israel, liking some parts and disliking others. Unsurprisingly for a lifelong Clinton ally, Saban bemoaned the rise of progressive Democrats like Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, but claimed it was because this wing of the party was unsympathetic, if not hostile, to his goals on Israel. When Sanders and a handful of other Senators wrote a public letter asking Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to address the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip, Saban reportedly sent an e-mail to some of the signatories calling their letter “outrageous” and “misinformed.”
Ideological Vibe: Centrist liberal. Like many of his billionaire philanthropist peers, Saban gives heavily to liberal PACs and Democratic campaign funds, but his strong connection to the Clinton family places him in the camp of establishment Democrats. He finds common cause with conservatives on Israel, and has been vocal in his efforts to prevent the Democratic Party from adopting a more Palestinian-friendly position from more progressive politicians.
Hits and Misses: Being one of Hillary Clinton’s closest allies and largest campaign donors, Saban shoulders some of the blame for the Democrat’s 2016 presidential loss. Still, he gave significantly to Democrats as they recaptured the House in 2018.
Looking Forward: As the Clintons’ influence on politics wanes, it remains unclear if Saban will recede with them. He has given at least $2 million to the Senate Majority PAC, and more than $1 million to the anti-Trump Priorities USA Action. Expect Saban to keep giving to pro-Israel Democrats, but watch for him to spread his money to other parties if the Democrats’ party line continues to move left on Israel.
Relationships: Saban Capital Group—CEO
Contact Information: N/A