Miriam Adelson gets big praise from Trump in his Israel speech on Gaza truce. Who is she?

Miriam Adelson is an Israeli-born physician and a major donor to Donald Trump’s presidential campaigns.

Published on: Oct 13, 2025, 21:05:34 IST

By HT News Desk

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President Donald Trump, in his speech to the Israeli parliament on Monday, highlighted mega-donor Miriam Adelson’s influence on US policy towards Israel. Miriam has been known for her philanthropy efforts and business ventures.

Miriam Adelson, along with her late husband, has been credited with shaping major decisions by the Trump administration. (Reuters)

During his speech, Trump recounted Miriam’s frequent visits to the Oval Office and gestured for her to stand up.

Who is Miriam Adelson

Mega donor to Trump campaigns

Miriam Adelson is an Israeli-born physician and a major donor to Donald Trump’s presidential campaigns. She used to frequently visit White House with her late husband, casino mogul Sheldon Adelson. Sheldon, who died in 2021, was known for founding the world’s largest casino empire as head of Las Vegas Corp. He put much of his fortune into nurturing conservative politicians and policies in the United States and Israel.

Both Miriam and her husband have been known for their work in philanthropy and business ventures in Israel and donations to Jewish causes.

Also read: Did Trump just hail daughter Ivanka in Knesset speech? All about her conversion to Judaism

Influence in Trump's policy decisions

The couple has been credited with shaping major decisions by the Trump administration, including decisions like the 2017 recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital, the 2018 move of the US embassy to the holy city, and his 2019 endorsement of Israeli sovereignty over the occupied Golan Heights.

Trump on Monday recognised these efforts and said, “She loves Israel.”

To explain the extent of the couple's impact on his administration, Trump on Monday joked that Miriam’s husband was so persistent he would “come in through the window".

Also read: 'Who cares?': Trump calls for pardon to Netanyahu in 'cigars and champagne' corruption case

Awarded Presidential Medal of Freedom

Miriam has played a crucial role, behind the scenes, in urging President Trump to keep working on the return of hostages that Hamas abducted from Israel to Gaza in 2023.

Recognising her efforts in 2018, Donald Trump awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom, citing her as having championed addiction research. She also founded medical centres with her late husband and helped launch the Adelson Medical Research Foundation.

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HT News Desk
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