Actors Andrea Bowen, Rob Morrow, and Harry Hamlin at the Dan Hotel in Tel Aviv, November 16, 2011. Photo: Hadar Cohen

Last week, Israel played host to 21 Hollywood personalities, who came through the Jewish Federation’s Tel Aviv/Los Angeles Partnership, The Creative Coalition and the AIPAC-affiliated American Israel Education Foundation.

Judging by the next comments, Israel really left an impression on them. 

“A lot of us are very intensely overwhelmed by this beautiful country and the tenacious, focused spirit of its people.”

“I have never before seen people [in Sderot] able to live in that kind of strange and difficult situation and call it normal, to move forward and teach their children how to love and not hate, and to remain hopeful there will be peace in this land”

“If the world went awry, I would probably want to be in Israel. Here I could look at the vibrant side of life no matter what’s going on outside of me.”

- Actor-producer-director Giancarlo Esposito

“To the outside world, the ‘two-state issue’ makes you think that in the streets of Israel there would be conflict. I assumed people would spit on each other and yet on the ground level I’m amazed at how respectful everyone is. I didn’t expect that.”

- High School Musical actress KayCee Stroh  

“Everywhere we go here, I see there’s a mission that’s clearly related to the absolute necessity for security and survival that we forget about in the rest of the world. I’m grateful to witness it firsthand and bring those stories back to America.”

- West Wing actor Richard Schiff

“In many ways, in the United States, Israel is defined by its pain, but now what is defining Israel for me is its life and light.”

- Actor Steven Weber

“Here in Israel, if immigration doesn’t rise year by year, something’s wrong. … I had no idea Israel does everything it can to bring people in.”

- Actor Richard Kind

“I commend all of you for living here, and I get it. I understand why you want to live here.”

 - Actor Rob Morrow

“This has been a remarkable learning experience. Before coming to Israel, I talked with friends and peers and there’s a lack of knowledge about what it is really like over here. What I’ve been hearing most of all is people discussing hope. My responsibility is to go back and inform young Americans what it’s like here. I’m trying to be a sponge for information. I don’t want to leave.”

- Actress Andrea Bowen

“What a stunning success this project of Israel has been so far. After just a few days, for all of us it’s important that this fragile yet extraordinary project be maintained.”

- Actor Harry Hamlin  

More on their visit here.

Methinks I have a few new additions for my comprehensive Pro-Israel Celebrities post.

“Peace is like [making] love. You can’t enjoy either without closing your eyes a little bit;”

- Israeli President and serial kisser Shimon Peres, conjuring up some pretty disturbing images

She seemed to me to be so humble and honest… Very cool. She also simultaneously seemed like she was nervous about the whole evening and if I was going to enjoy myself. “Are you ok?” she asked 2 or 3 times. “I hope you are having fun. I know you will once my crew of friends get here to the table.” I have to tell you, it’s not every day that I meet a 23 year old girl and she’s more worried about if I’m having fun or if I’m comfortable! It hit me all of a sudden that these were the type of people that look after us and our freedom… Humble, concerned for others before themselves… This was the type of person our Marine Corps was building. I was really blown away.

- Singer-actor Justin Timberlake, who attended the Instructor Battalion Marine Corps Ball after famously accepting a servicewoman’s invitation.

Nice sentiments, although perhaps a poor choice of words at the end.

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Answer: Jonathan Lipnicki from Jerry Maguire.

Big transformation, but we’ve seen bigger.

And yes, there’s definite proof in the recent photo that he’s Jewish.

Francois Guillot/Getty Images

Director Lars von Trier came under fire earlier this year when he made remarks sympathizing with Adolf Hitler during a Melancholia press conference at the Cannes Film Festival. Von Trier apologized shortly after he made the statements, but was eventually banned from the festival.

The director is now taking back his apology, by saying he was “not sorry” about the statements after all.

The Danish director believes there is no such thing as the “right or wrong thing to say.” “I think that anything can be said. That is very much me. The same with film — anything can be done in a film. If it can be thought in the human mind, then it could be said and it could be seen on a film,” he told GQ. “Of course you get troubles for it afterwards, that’s for sure, but that doesn’t make it wrong. To say I’m sorry for what I said is to say I’m sorry for what kind of a person I am, I’m sorry for my morals and that would destroy me as a person.”

He continued, “It’s not true. I’m not sorry. I am not sorry for what I said. I’m sorry that it didn’t come out more clearly. I’m not sorry that I made a joke, but I’m sorry that I didn’t make it clear that it was a joke. But I can’t be sorry for what I said — it’s against my nature.”

Von Trier noted in the GQ interview that there was one exception to the rule. “I’m sorry when I was a child I had a little bird that I fed, and I was so young I forgot it when I was on holiday, and then it was dead when I came home. That I was sorry for,” he said.

And I’m sorry we have people likes this in the human race.

He says he doesn’t think G-d makes mistakes. So did G-d “make a mistake” when he commanded Jews to be circumcized?

As Michelle Malkin blogs, this caused “all hell to break loose” with palestinian, Muslim and progressive Twitterers firing some salvos of their own at Perry.

Instead of sticking to her guns, Katy Perry went the route of appeasement.

She’s no Jon Voight.

After months of speculation, David and Victoria Beckham have announced they have decided to call their little girl Harper Seven Beckham.

David confirmed the news on his Facebook page after he and wife Victoria welcomed the baby, who weighed 7lb 10oz, at 7.55am yesterday morning.

The footballer wrote: ‘I am so proud and excited to announce the birth of our daughter Harper Seven Beckham. She weighed a healthy 7lbs 10oz and arrived at 7.55 this morning, here in LA.

The Seven in the name is believed to be a reference to David’s football number when he played for Manchester United and England, while the Harper could be referring to Harper’s Bazaar magazine or perhaps To Kill A Mockingbird author Harper Lee.

I don’t have a problem with Harper, but Seven? Who could dream up such a name?

Oh, wait.

However, the uniform is not IDF standard issue, and she is wearing it while practically flashing her norgs.

Israel's answer to Hanoi Jane

Given her her history with the Israeli Defence Forces, some may perceive Bar Refaeli’s latest photoshoot as a bold manoeuvre.

In what may be seen as an act of defiance, the Israel-born model poses topless for GQ Italia in nothing but a helmet and shorts – seven years after managing to dodge national service in her home country.

While military service is a must for both men and women Israelis once they reached 18, it emerged in 2007 how Bar had managed to avoid doing a three year spell by marrying an acquaintance.

Though they later divorced, she is said to have no regrets.

Refaeli, the 25-year-old girlfriend of movie star Leonardo DiCaprio, has been photographed for the mag’s May war-themed issue.

Inside the supermodel exhibits strikes a series of other sultry poses, using an ammunition belt for a prop.

Meanwhile, here’s the footage of the shoot (warning: contains a bit of flesh. Ok, maybe more than a bit)