Madonna, Mr. Big and Richard Gere

-Am Johal

The Israeli Tourism Authority, thinking of creative

ways to lure visitors back to the Holy Land, has taken

to organizing the high profile visits of Hollywood

stars and pop divas to mixed reaction.

Earlier this year, Richard Gere arrived for a film

festival, attended a seminar, had posters of his face

plastered all over Israel and generally left with rave

reviews especially from the female human rights

activists. They didn't question the intentions of his

visit or give him too much flak for not taking any

public positions on human rights. They work on human

rights every day of the year, but he was RICHARD GERE!

A few months later Chris Noth, Mr. Big, was on the

pages of Haaretz being whisked away by helicopter to

see the sights of Israel all paid for by the good

folks at the Israeli Tourism Authority. In fact, they

were even armed with pro forma statements about how

much the visit would boost Israeli tourism.

Then came "Esther," pilgrim Madonna, donning the

latest Kabbalah outfit, raising a storm for visiting

Rachel's Tomb, having her cab mobbed by fans resulting

in her planned visit to the Old City of Jerusalem

being cancelled - such is the price of fame in the

Holy Land.

Fresh off the "Reinvention Tour," Madonna is

reportedly wearing a red thread to ward off the evil

eye and refuses to play on the Sabbath. She has

received rough treatment by religious Jews and

Palestinian activists questioning the intentions of

her visit. A security team of 1,000 police officers

were drafted to protect her entourage of 2,000 from

the Kabbalah Center in Los Angeles.

Madonna's visit to Rachel's Tomb was particularly

drawing the ire of human rights activists as the

Separation Barrier annexes the shrine and because the

Palestinians are under full closure for the entire

month of the Jewish High Holidays. Next to Rachel's

Tomb is Ayda Refugee Camp which has 5,000 residents

residing there who are refused entry into Israel. Her

willingness to come to the West Bank with security

forces and not comment on human rights issues there is

particularly drawing criticism. Unlike her former

husband Sean Penn who has visited Iraq and spoken out

against the war, Madonna never been one to take

political positions for fear of hurting her celebrity

status.

With all her moves from Sex Goddess to Yoga diva to

children's author to British den mother to an endorser

of Wesley Clark didn't dim the willingness of the

"Israeli street" to question her newfound Kabbalah

addiction and for religious Jews to dismiss her use of

Judaism as a cheap marketing ploy. For her efforts on

her five day tour, "Esther" received an ancient oil

lamp and a coin from the Byzantine period from the

Israeli Tourism Authority.