Several celebrities participated in the Friends of the IDF 2014 gala in Los Angeles, California, on Thursday, showing support for Israel and raising $33 million.
Israeli-American businessman Haim Saban threw a large fundraising gala in Los Angeles, inviting a large number of celebrities in order to honor the IDF, according to a report on Ynet.
Zur Goldin, the identical twin of a Hadar Goldin, a Givati officer killed during Operation Protective Edge, requested a moment of silence in honor of his brother and his fellow soldiers who fell in Gaza during the summer war with Hamas.
The event, which attracted 1,200 guests, was graced with the likes of Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, Barbra Streisand, Pamela Anderson and other well-known entertainment icons. Also present were Oracle founder and CEO Larry Ellison and Dell CEO Michael Dell. Ellison gave the largest donation of the night – $9 million!
“There is no greater honor than supporting some of the bravest people in the world, and I thank FIDF [Friends of the IDF] for providing us with this opportunity year-after-year to celebrate and support these soldiers,” Ellison said.
Saban, who has been chair of the gala for eight consecutive years, stated: “The caliber of Gala attendees from Hollywood, tech, business and other walks of life – especially a large contingent of people without ties to Israel or Judaism – ultimately speaks to their admiration for the heroic men and women of the IDF and the incredible work that the FIDF does to support them.”
Celebrity Support for Israel
It is wonderful to see the way many celebrities are standing up in support of Israel. We have already written about the incredible work that David Draiman, lead singer of Disturbed and Device, is doing. We call upon other celebrities to do the same.
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By: United with Israel Staff