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Academy Award-winning American actor Jon Voight visiting Jerusalem on Monday. (AP)
Last update - 19:43 13/05/2008
Oscar winner Voight to Qassam victims: 'You're on the front line'
By The Associated Press and Haaretz Service
Tags: Angelina Jolie, Israel 

Award-winning American actor Jon Voight visited Israeli victims of Palestinian rocket attacks in Sderot on Tuesday, taking pictures with children and speaking out harshly against latest truce efforts to stop the rocket barrages and Israeli reprisals in Gaza.

Voight described the southern Israeli town as a "war zone." Sderot is a frequent target of Palestinian rocket fire.

"When I see these children, from my perspective they are traumatized children from a war zone," Voight said. "You are on the front line."
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During his visit, he met the town's mayor and families affected by Palestinian rockets.

Voight, who a best actor Academy Award in 1979, is also the estranged father of American actress Angelina Jolie.

On Monday, Voight met families affected by Palestinian attacks in a Jerusalem restaurant. One man sat in a wheelchair, missing both his legs after a suicide bombing in Jerusalem in 2002. Another man still had his arm in a sling from an attack on the now-dismantled Israeli settlement bloc in the northern Gaza Strip.

Voight, surrounded by photographers, knelt down next to children and sketched a picture of King David - a prominent Jewish biblical figure - next to a little boy. The young boy's father was killed in a suicide bombing on a bus in 2004.

Voight said his experiences led him to believe that Israel should not negotiate with Palestinians militants for a truce. An Egyptian mediator was in Jerusalem on Monday to work on a truce proposal. Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip frequently fire rockets toward nearby Israeli communities, prompting deadly army airstrikes and ground assaults into Gaza. On Monday, an elderly Israeli woman was killed after a Palestinian rocket fired from Gaza exploded in a village outside Gaza.

"They are barbarians," Voight said, referring to the Gaza militants. "They are relentless, looking to destroy (Israel)," the actor said. "If somebody breaks your leg, don't give another. Don't play this game."

Palestinians complain that Israel is responsible for much of the deprivation in poverty-stricken Gaza. Though it pulled out of the territory in 2005, Israel controls all but one of its border crossings. Since the Islamic militant Hamas overran Gaza last year, Israel has enforced a blockade, leading to severe shortages of vital supplies.

After meeting the Israeli children, the actor failed to launch a bunch of colorful balloons tied to a bag that held prayers for peace. The weight of the bag kept the balloons skirting the ground. "God is down there, too," he joked.

Voight was the guest of Chabad, an ultra-Orthodox Jewish outreach program that helps Israeli victims of militant attacks. "It's like a warm hug," said Ester Zigron, a 42-year-old woman whose husband was wounded in an attack and left partially blind and deaf.

Voight was visibly moved by the visit and said Israel shouldn't negotiate with Palestinian militants. He called the attackers barbarians who spat on Israeli peacemaking attempts.

Years of fighting in Israel and the Palestinian territories have cost the lives of more than 4,000 Palestinians and more than 1,000 Israelis.

On Sunday, Voight was in the stands to watch Hapoel Jerusalem bounce back with a 96-84 victory over Ironi Ramat Gan.

Voight is an academy award winner and father of actress Angelina Jolie.

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      1.   Voit should take some crack, he needs it 19:50  |  El-Birawi 12/05/08
      2.   VOIGHT IS AN IDIOT 19:55  |  JH 12/05/08
      3.   bravo to jon voight 20:03  |  darmon michael 12/05/08
      4.   Barbarians ... hmmm sounds about exactly right 20:11  |  GZLives 12/05/08
      5.   The "Asphalt-cowboy" should stick to acting..... 20:12  |  Swiss (Dino) 12/05/08
      6.   Thank you, Jon Voight!!!! Your support for Israel is appreciated 20:13  |  spade 12/05/08
      7.   To JH...plenty of "has beens" like Jimma Carter support Jihadis 20:14  |  spade 12/05/08
      8.   To #1..any culture that would recruit young children 20:17  |  spade 12/05/08
      9.   Voight is a smart man 20:19  |  ben rivers 12/05/08
      10.   So this is why Angelina wont speak to him! 20:20  |  JC 12/05/08
      11.   There are victims on both sides....biased 20:24  |  American 12/05/08
      12.   Voight is a "has been" who likes jews too much 20:27  |  Jimmy Carter 12/05/08
      13.   He is an actor, Ok, and even the father of Angelina Jolie ... 20:30  |  Axel 12/05/08
      14.   Serial philanderer.. 20:33  |  Colorado Blew 12/05/08
      15.   Actors 20:40  |  Luther 12/05/08
      16.   Jon Voight is 100% correct they are Barbarians 20:43  |  THE WARRIOR 12/05/08
      17.   the actor may not have a great career now... 20:45  |  TAZ 12/05/08
      18.   SPADE, ISRAEL IS AN EVIL OPPRESSOR 20:46  |  JH 12/05/08
      19.   We`d love to have you visit gaza mr. jolie 20:47  |  POP 12/05/08
      20.   Swiss Dino #5 20:51  |  Louis M. Fried 12/05/08
      21.   What an ass hole 20:55  |  Mad max 12/05/08
      22.   SHURRUP! 21:23  |  bashar 12/05/08
      23.   Voight... The Israel marketing machine is ... 21:24  |  Ali 12/05/08
      24.   SWiss Dino 5 21:25  |  ChanahS 12/05/08
      25.   El Birawi, the two sides of Islam-Good and Evil 21:31  |  Simon 12/05/08
      26.   JON VOIGHT 21:31  |  Arik Silverman 12/05/08
      27.   Does he know that Palestinian exist and suffer? 21:48  |  GZLives 12/05/08
      28.   I like that man 21:50  |  Tom Thumb 12/05/08
      29.   #18, JH, 100 years of Arab opression is worse 22:00  |  David 12/05/08
      30.   Is there any particular reason why Voight`s opinion matters? 22:01  |  Clickfool 12/05/08
      31.   #21, self infliction is not the same as war crime 22:02  |  David 12/05/08
      32.   #19 - he doesn`t want to be kidnapped! 22:03  |  redmike 12/05/08
      33.   swiss Dino # 5 22:08  |  Philippe 12/05/08
      34.   Jon Voight visit 22:09  |  Mary 12/05/08
      35.   Voight is Void of Common Sense 22:23  |  Markus 12/05/08
      36.   Voight`s Boy oh Boy 22:25  |  Pierre 12/05/08
      37.   Mary`s Upcoming Visit 22:25  |  Tex 12/05/08
      38.   Clickfool # 30 22:26  |  Richard Kaplan 12/05/08
      39.   Now I know 22:36  |  JJ 12/05/08
      40.   Look To Foolio For Opinions That Matter 22:38  |  Tex 12/05/08
      41.   Click, Jhon is a meesseger, please read my message to El Birawi 22:40  |  Simon 12/05/08
      42.   DAVID, IT`S ISRAEL WHICH EXPELLED PALESTINIANS 22:41  |  JH 12/05/08
      43.   He`s right 22:47  |  Gili 12/05/08
      44.   # 24 Chanah S 22:48  |  Swiss (Dino) 12/05/08
      45.   Clickfool #30 _ We Should Respect His Opinion 22:49  |  Eli 12/05/08
      46.   # 33 Philippe 22:55  |  Swiss (Dino) 12/05/08
      47.   jon voight 23:01  |  b 12/05/08
      48.   # 20 Louis M. Fried 23:02  |  Swiss (Dino) 12/05/08
      49.   For Eli in Berkeley # 45 23:07  |  Clickfool 12/05/08
      50.   Voight is a GOOD HONEST MAN, bless him 23:29  |  Amir 12/05/08
      51.   Voight - A Real Mensch (Too Good for Hollywood) 23:54  |  Tod Zuckerman 12/05/08
      52.   We are acting like children 00:16  |  Israeli 13/05/08
      53.   Look at Hizbullah and Hamas who kill their own 00:18  |  Jon 13/05/08
      54.   Clickfool, no 30, a logical answer 00:28  |  Sam C 13/05/08
      55.   The first stone 00:35  |  Baz Mann 13/05/08
      56.   Clickfool no 49, You`re trying to rewrite history 00:40  |  Sam C 13/05/08
      57.   Why would this matter? 00:43  |  Rory 13/05/08
      58.   Richard Kaplan #38 Clickfool 00:52  |  Free Gilad Shalit 13/05/08
      59.   GB is a great country, Eli and Clickfool ! 00:52  |  Ben Yoseph 13/05/08
      60.   John Voight certainly knows what he`s talking about! 00:53  |  Free Gilad Shalit 13/05/08
      61.   #18 01:02  |  JoJo 13/05/08
      62.   Bravo John Voight 01:02  |  Ralph Levy 13/05/08
      63.   #52...Naive putz... 01:06  |  spade 13/05/08
      64.   Nothing wrong with what he is doing 01:18  |  Donald 13/05/08
      65.   Clickfool 01:24  |  Connie 13/05/08
      66.   The anti-Israel Crew stifles discussion 01:30  |  Realist 13/05/08
      67.   #42; JH you really should read Benny Morris 01:55  |  Doc Holliday 13/05/08
      68.   John Voight 01:57  |  Michael 13/05/08
      69.   Voight is far smarter than the Israeli left. 02:09  |  Chaim 13/05/08
      70.   #12 Jimmy Carter - No, you`re the has been 02:36  |  * BEN JABO 13/05/08
      71.   #9 POP