MONMOUTH COUNTY, NJ - Revelations that Newt Gingrich changed his stance on the Israeli settlements, as well as other issues, after Sheldon Adelson - a casino and hotel magnate, donated $13 million to Newt Gingrich’ two PACS, show that money can buy a change in policy.  The Reform Party of New Jersey is calling for a real campaign finance reform on a federal level, which would include limits on PAC donations, to prevent the buying of our elected officials by those who have the most money.

While writing for The Middle East Quarterly Summer of 2005 issue, Gingrich wrote, “The Palestinians entered their war with Israel as a relatively wealthy, educated, and cosmopolitan people. They were in some ways among the most international and most advanced people in the Arab world.” Gingrich would later mention, “It is vital to our credibility in the entire Middle East that we insist on an end to Israeli expansionism. It is vital to our humanitarian duty to the Palestinian people that we protect the weaker party from the stronger power. It is vital that the world sees that our total support for Israeli security is not matched by a one-sided support for more extreme Israeli territorial goals.”

In December of 2011, after Newt Gingrich’s 2 PACS received a total of $13 million from Adelson, Gingrich said the following in a TV interview, “Well, I believe that the Jewish people have the right to have a state, and I believe that the commitments that were made at a time — remember, there was no Palestine as a state, it was part of the Ottoman Empire.” “And I think that we’ve had an invented Palestinian people, who are in fact Arabs, and were historically part of the Arab community. And they had a chance to go many places.” When asked about Gingrich’s change in foreign policy, RPNJ Chairman Jacob Zychick said, “as soon as our politicians hear the corporate money knocking on the door they fall to their knees begging and pleading”.

Zychick would later add, “In a representative system of government, the government is suppposed to represent the people, not just the most affluent members of our society, who try to buy policy agreements in return for greater PAC contributions.” Our current federal campaign finance laws allow such individuals to bypass $1,000 donation limits to candidates, and instead funnel the money (with no limits) into political action committes. The Reform Party of New Jersey is calling for a limit to PAC contributions on a federal level, so that our government would be more representative of our interests, and not the select few.