Adelson-owned Israel Hayom beats out Jerusalem Post for two flailing Hebrew news agencies

After examining the bids that were submitted, Israel Hayom’s bid to acquire the activities of newspaper Makor Rishon and the internet site NRG were higher than the other offers.

By World Israel News Staff

Pro-Israel Jewish philanthropist Sheldon Adelson, owner of the free daily newspaper Israel Hayom, has outbid Jerusalem Post owner Eli Azor in acquiring Israel’s flailing newspaper Makor Rishon and news website NRG.

According to Hen Berdichev, the trustee appointed by the Jerusalem District Court to handle the bidding off of Makor Rishon and NRG,  Azor was unwilling to match Adelson’s 14 million shekel bid on Makor Rishon and 3 million shekel bid on NRG.

“After examining the bids that were submitted, Israel Hayom‘s bid to acquire the activities of newspaper Makor Rishon and the internet site NRG were higher than the other offers in all parameters, to a meaningful and obvious degree, in terms of the sum and in terms of the numbers of workers that it obligated to continue to employ,” said Berdichev.

Because Adelson holds Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in high esteem, the prime minister’s detractors tried to curb Israel Hayom’s political influence by introducing a law in 2014 designed to prohibit the distribution of daily newspapers free of charge.

In 2014, the Knesset approved the preliminary reading of the proposed “Israel Hayom Law,” but it never reached the plenum for a second vote.

The billionaire has shown much support for the Jewish State over the years.

Israel’s historic $100 million effort to reach the moon with the Beresheet lunar module was financed largely by Adelson.

Adelson has reportedly offered to donate $500 million toward the construction of the new U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem.