Netanyahu cancels Bieber date over refusal to meet kids affected by Gaza rockets
PM was scheduled to host pop star at his Jerusalem office; taking advantage of the PR situation, Netanyahu's advisers invited group of kids from communities near Gaza border to attend.
By Haaretz Service and Barak RavidPrime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has canceled his date with pop sensation Justin Bieber over the singer's refusal to meet with children living in communities affected by Gaza rocket fire, Channel Two reported on Tuesday.
The prime minister was scheduled to host the young singer at his office in Jerusalem on Wednesday evening, before Bieber's Thursday night concert.
Taking advantage of the PR opportunity presented by the meeting with Bieber, Netanyahu's advisers invited a group of children from communities near the Gaza border to attend.
The children had disembarked from a school bus just before it was hit by a Hamas rocket last Thursday, critically wounded a teen and moderately wounding the bus driver.
Bieber reportedly refused to meet the children, which led Netanyahu to cancel the meeting.
Upon arriving in Israel on Monday, the singer was met by throngs of tween girls who mobbed his Tel Aviv hotel.
Some 200 young fans gathered at Tel Aviv's Sheraton Hotel Monday morning, staying there for hours in the hope of catching sight of the phenom. Bieber is scheduled to give a concert in Tel Aviv on Thursday night.
"We arrived especially on a flight from Eilat," said Yaakov Melamed, father of a 12-year old girl - one of about 200 groupies in the hotel's lobby on Monday. "We are following him everywhere," said Adi, 14, from Ganei Tikva. "I will go with him to Jerusalem and the Dead Sea, and I've been waiting here since eight in the morning," she said.
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Justin Bieber |
| Photo by: AP |
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for helping raise £100 million for comic relief and for refusing to become a political pawn for Netanyahu. He is becoming a player
So he really is in it for the money and not for his fans!!!! There's a surprise. He obviously has about as much depth as a bird bath.
A very wise decision. Neranyahu was trying to abuse the situation so he can acheive nasty political objectives.
He didn't get to meet ... who was it? Netanjahu Netanshmaju
I'm shocked they allowed him in the country.
How dare you oppose all mighty Netanyahu. Didn't you see what hapened to Obama. Say goodbye to your career.
I guess he didn’t want to offend his terrorist following!
worse than Netanyahu and his supporters. They have to generate hasbara out of every single opportunity, or they throw a tantrum.
is a nobody AND his "music" sucks.
not to be abused by Netanyahu for polital purpose.
Did Mr. Netanyahu run out of idea to sugarcoat his performance?
unreal! beiber throws israel an undeserved bone in the PR sense - at a time when israel is largely shunned, And netanythu throws a tantrum cos wee justin won't do exactly as he's told. hilarious
it would be the best news i've heard all day. the boy is being exploited in any case, but if he is aware of the impetus of rockets launched and refuses to look at the situation in its entire context, good on him. that said, not sparing innocent women & children is always wrong.
Netaniahu invited the kids to make a political statement. No artist should let his image be used for political gains. Specially by a government that violates human rights.
Good he refused to serve to israeli propaganda.It means he is really something,not simply another one brainless idol of teens.
He didn't know what Germany was.
Same age, same talent, etc
otherwise , you better leave !
Better show Bieber the Westbank or Gaza
To avoid politics, let President Peres host the singer and the children from near the Gaza border. Peres won the Nobel Peace Prize for trying to settle the Isareli-Arab dispute.
He doesn't care at all for his "fans".
He has his own PR people, and they probably think it is not a good idea when he lends his face for Netanyahu's PR.
He has his own PR people, and they probably think it is not a good idea when he lends his face for Netanyahu's PR.
He has his own PR people, and they probably think it is not a good idea when he lends his face for Netanyahu's PR.
He doesn't like to be used as a tool.
I like that message.
Isn't it one of the obligations of these stars to give back? by meeting with a bunch of chilrden from communitites affect by rockets and terror non stop, this would make their lives! I bet if this were about him not meeting Arab children you would be kicking a screaming, typical, ignorance is bliss, sweetie.
so you think its a "political statement" to be against having rockets fired at busses???? i hope u dont have kids.