By Corinne Heller
Feb 27, 2008
LOS ANGELES, California - Two days after the hottest stars marched on the red carpet at the Oscars ceremony in Hollywood, other celebrities gathered in Los Angeles on Tuesday to support their Israeli friends.
About 2,000 people filled the Wilshire Theater in Beverly Hills to show their solidarity for the children of Sderot, an Israeli border town that has been bombarded with rockets fired from the Gaza Strip, during a festive event headlined by a concert by Israeli singer Ninet Tayeb.
The celebration, which also marked Israel's 60th anniversary, was one of several events held for a delegation of Israeli teenagers and children from the town.
"I feel fantastic, the best possible," said Sderot resident Yarin Perez, 15. "This is a relief, it is heart-warming to see who is with us here, we love them. It is not taken for granted."
(c) 2008 Ynet News Israel
Ninet was seen especially nervous as she walked into the theater's lobby prior to her performance.
"I have not been able to understand what is happening here," she said. "I am very, very nervous. I hope this will open people's eyes."
Sylvester Stallone, an old friend of the Jewish state from since he opened the now-defunct Planet Hollywood in Tel Aviv in the 1990s, seemed relaxed before the concert, despite the dozens of security guards and Beverly Hills cops that watched the crowd and the reporters suspiciously.
Asked what Rambo would do to help solve the rocket attack problem, Stallone said: "I don't know. I'll have to think about it."
Other stars and former stars in attendance included actress Valerie Harper, who played Golda Meir in a recent movie, actress Alona Tal, who is an Israeli native and former cast member of the cancelled cult series "Veronica Mars," Mayim Bialik, star of the 1990s series "Blossom," Thomas Calabro, who played the sinister Michael in the hit series "Melrose Place".
Calabro said he was interested in visiting Israel.
Actor Jon Voigt, the estranged father of Angelina Jolie, posed for pictures with the children of Sderot for several minutes.
The U.S. presidential candidates also made an appearance, although via video. If one were to judge according to applause, it appears the audience preferred Senator John McCain over Democrats Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, who received some boos.
"Tomorrow we are going to Disneyland," Peretz said.