"Godfather" actor James Caan visited Israel for the first time last week, delivering a series of candid statements to reporters about his support for the Jewish state — and his views on the U.S. government.
Caan, 76, called those in the entertainment industry who might tell him not to go to Israel "anti-Semites," saying that he would have "punched in the face" anyone who made such a suggestion.
"No, I don’t hang around with anti-Semites if that’s what you mean and I don’t know any," he responded to a reporter who inquired if anyone had, in fact, asked him not to take the trip. "And if I did, I’d punch them in the face."
Caan was also quoted by the Jerusalem Post as saying, "I’m very pro-Israel, and I can’t like anybody who isn’t."
The actor, who is Jewish, said that his trip to the holy land was "great" and described his elation at being able to tour Israel, visit the Western Wall and speak with intellectuals, according to The Media Line.
It's a trip that Caan always wanted to take, but one that wasn't possible before, as he was busy raising his family. But the voyage was finally made possible by the Einstein Fund, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the Israeli Tourism Ministry.
As for what he will take away from the trip, Caan told The Media Line that he's gained "a lot of education" as well as "a stronger feeling for Israel."
It's that latter point, though, that he said has spawned some negative feelings about the U.S. government.
"[It] gives me a stronger feeling against our current government who I feel like is not the greatest ally in the world to Israel and hopefully that will change," he said, dismissing some of the calls for boycotts that have been made among Israeli critics and, more specifically, his peers in Hollywood.
"I don’t like it, because none of them have studied political science," he said. "And they stand up there and they have billions of dollars. So they can afford to be liberal."
It's not uncommon for celebrities to join the chorus of those opposed to Israel, especially as tensions continue to flare with the Palestinians, though some musicians and actors have reportedly not been willing to boycott the Jewish state.
The Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions movement, which spearheads such efforts, "is a Palestinian-led movement for freedom, justice and equality," with the group actively encouraging various boycotts in an effort to protest against Israel.
According to the organization's website, "Israel is occupying and colonising Palestinian land, discriminating against Palestinian citizens of Israel and denying Palestinian refugees the right to return to their homes."
While the movement has gained some stream through its public campaigns, some in Hollywood have pushed back. Consider that nearly 200 Hollywood elite signed a statement in 2014 that called for peace, yet defended Israel against Hamas.
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