Tel-Chai Nation

And rightly terms performers who boycott Israel as "idiots" (via Big Hollywood). He's a native of Israel, and has come back here recently:

Gene Simmons, a cofounder of the rock band Kiss, recently returned to his native Israel, after a 52-year hiatus. Unlike other entertainers who have boycotted the Jewish state, such as Elvis Costello, the Pixies, and Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters, Simmons expressed his support for Israel. “The countries they should be boycotting are the same countries that the populations are rebelling,” Simmons told the AP, suggesting that the entertainers who boycott Israel should place a more critical eye on other nations in Israel’s neighborhood. “People long to be free … And they sure as hell don’t want somebody who’s a ruler who hasn’t been elected by them.”

In supporting Israel, Simmons now joins the former lead singer of the Sex Pistols, punk rocker Johnny Rotten.

Clearly, we owe some thanks to Rotten as well. I would add that people in showbiz who boycott Israel are basically breaking the hearts of people who'd surely want to be fans of theirs. Why some leftist showbizzies want to alienate at least half their audience I have no idea.

However, if Simmons really said the following in this article, there's a possible flaw detected too:

According to Simmons, Israel has been a source of pride for him ever since he left. “There ain’t no place like it on planet Earth. It’s astonishing that it’s still here – stronger and prouder than ever,” he said, adding that the recent upheavals in the Muslim world has filled him with hope for the future of Israeli-Arab ties.

I'm afraid that's not very certain. It depends on the mindset the publics in those Islamic countries maintain. The public in Egypt, for example, if they support the Muslim Brotherhood in the coming, dreaded election there, are condoning sharia by extension. So we can't count on positive ties there.

That aside, I'm glad Simmons is speaking out.

Labels: Egypt, islam, Israel, showbiz, United States