Overview:
Bernard Marcus is an American billionaire businessman. He’s known for co-founding the Home Depot. After retirement, he put most of his focus on “philanthropic” activities and political activism. The majority of his pledges go to neo-conservative groups and pro-Israel organizations.
Lobby & Think Tank Influencer
Besides occasional non-political philanthropic activities, the vast majority of his funding goes to pro-Israel groups including:
• Christians United for Israel
• Friends of the IDF
• The Israel Project
• The Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs
• Judicial Watch
Marcus also has a focus on sponsoring hawkish Republican and neo-conservative organizations, some of which include:
• The American Enterprise Institute
• The Hoover Institution
• The Hudson Institute
• The Manhattan Institute
• American Enterprise
• The Middle East Media Research Institute
Until 2012 Marcus pledged around $12 million to the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), one of the biggest neo-conservative and pro-Israel think thanks. He also contributed 2.45 million to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee between 2007 and 2012. Bernard Marcus is also a prominent promoter and contributor of the America-Israel friendship League. He’s also serves as the board of American-Israel Chamber of Commerce and the Israeli Democracy Institute.
In 2014, Marcus attended at a meeting held by the Zionist Organization of America in New York. This meeting was meant to gather pro-Israel donors and also featured prominent Israel supporters and lobbyists including Alan Dershowitz , Christians United for Israel chairman John Hagee, Rep. Michelle Bachmann and Sheldon Adelson.
