True to his benefactorâ€™s wishes, Adelson Institute for Strategic Studies Chairman Anatol Sharansky today endorsed John McCain for president, calling Sen. Obama a â€œriskâ€ for Israel. Sharansky, an old pal of Richard Perleâ€™s as well as a beneficiary of multi-billionaire Sheldon Adelson, made his endorsement during an interview on Shalom TV, a Jewish-American cable network. â€œIn the case of McCain, we know exactly where his policy is,â€ said Sharansky. â€œI know, personally, McCain for 20 years. He is a person of principle, and he is also a person who has absolutely a great record of supporting Israel. Getting to Obama, there is no record. Nobody can know for sure what will be. It can happen to be good. It can happen to be very bad. Itâ€™s a risk.â€

(In addition to his Institute at Jerusalemâ€™s Shalem Center, Adelson, of course, is the major funder of Freedomâ€™s Watch and is himself the beneficiary (although I imagine he pays handsomely) of Karl Roveâ€™s political advice, according to a recent account by the National Journal. An intriguing report from Adelsonâ€™s Las Vegas headquarters suggests that he may be having some problem with his Macau interests.)

Sharanskyâ€™s intervention comes in the wake of warnings several days ago on the reliably Likudnik Wall Street Journalâ€™s editorial page by two other Adelson beneficiaries and Institute officials, Michael Oren and Yossi Klein Halevy, against any attempt by outgoing Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to continue pursuing peace negotiations with the Palestinian Authority or with Syria before he leaves office. â€œMembers of Mr. Olmertâ€™s party, Kadima, and of the governing coalition need to ensure that all substantive negotiations with Arab leaders are suspended until a new prime minister assumes office,â€ they argue. â€œAllowing Mr. Olmert to negotiate over life-and-death issues means continuing to hold Israel hostage to his political maneuvers.â€