UPDATE: Rumor has it the proposal was a ruse. We say a clever one, if true. They got Justin to take a selfie with them in front of thousands! Not to mention that Justin proved he’s a good sport.
Performers have to be brave to come to Israel. The BDS crowd stands ready to pounce and draw virtual blood from any musician who dares to announce he or she will perform in Israel. An announcement of an upcoming Israel gig is sure to be met with a flood of nasty Facebook page comments, emails, and tweets. There will be the by now almost banal yet predictable threats of death, bullying, and coercion.
Many musicians bow under the pressure and fear and cancel their Israel tours. It’s not that they don’t want to perform in Israel. It’s that they’re TERRIFIED.
Performers brave enough to withstand the waves of ad hominem nastiness, on the other hand, are always met with sell-out crowds that tend to express their gratitude and love with wild cheering and applause. Ask any performer who dares to play Israel: they’ll say it’s well worth the risk. Nowhere else will a musician receive such adulation. Because when you play Israel, it’s more than just a performance. It’s a display of courage. It’s a refusal to give in to bullies, to be cowed.
Justin Timberlake has earned our humble respect for holding firm against the scummy BDSHoles by playing Tel Aviv last night to roaring acclamation at Park HaYarkon. He was a mensch and gave the crowd as good as he got.
At one point, a member of the audience held up a sign. Justin peered as closely as he could from onstage, asking, “What does the sign say?”
The female sign-holder explained that her boyfriend had pledged to propose marriage to her. The condition: Justin had to take a selfie with the two of them. With no hesitation whatsoever, Timberlake leapt off the stage, took the selfie of himself with the couple and then said to the wannabe groom, “All right. DO IT.”
Now this dude was prepared. He had a RING.
He got down on his knees and did the deed, then and there, to the loud approval of the excited crowd.
And with that, JT got back on stage to do his thing. His other thing, that is. Marriage proposals have become almost commonplace at his concerts.
Props to Timberlake for yet another decent proposal. If he ever leaves showbiz, he can always set up shop as a matchmaker. He seems to have a flair.
Thank you Justin, for playing Israel.
