American celebrities help mark Independence Day in Israel

May 11, 2011 - 8:04 AM by David

Jesse Gordon Spencer and Omar Epps arrive in Israel.

Among Israel’s Independence Day celebrants this week who flooded the country’s parks and beaches and raised the smoke meter to alarming levels due to all the outdoor grilling were a few unexpected guests.

Omar Epps and Jesse Gordon Spencer, who play Dr. Eric Foreman and Dr. Robert Chase on the popular FOX series ‘House,’ arrived to take part in the Yom Ha’atzmaut celebrations along with Epp’s wife, Keisha Epps, and the show’s creator and executive producer David Shore and wife Judy.

Unfortunately, Hugh Laurie, who plays the show’s title character, Dr. House did not make the trip, which was organized by America’s Voices in Israel, the Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish Organizations, the Tourism Ministry, the Foreign Ministry and El Al. It would have been a hoot to see him mixing it up with the Sabra mentality.

Epps, Spencer and Shore have been visiting the beaches and seeing the sights in Jerusalem, the Dead Sea and the Galilee. The group is also visiting the Israel Center for Medical Simulation at the Sheba Medical Center at Tel Hashomer.

Glenn Beck at the Garden Tomb.

In another unexpected visit, the guru of right-wing conspiracists, ex-FOX news program host and staunch Israel supporter Glenn Beck landed in the country this week to broadcast his syndicated radio show from Jerusalem.

According to Beck’s website, he decided last week to visit Israel, and since his arrival has visited a number of Jerusalem sites, including Yad Vashem, the Western Wall and the Garden Tomb. The site is full of photos from the visit as well. A planned trip to the Temple Mount was evidently nixed because the Wakf, in charge of the site, objected to his arrival fearing it would create too much of a ruckus.

According to The Jerusalem Post, the controversial Beck broadcast his syndicated Tuesday radio show live from the King David Hotel, and was expected to meet Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu during his visit. It’s uncertain whether he was going to bring his chalk board with him.

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