ALABWABA - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sara sparked widespread anger after attending a concert in Tel Aviv.
Hebrew media outlets reported that Sara and Benjamin Netanyahu went to a concert by singer Eden Ben-Zaken at the Menora Mivtachim venue in Tel Aviv, sparking a wave of anger after Netanyahu addressed the audience briefly from his private box.
Ben-Zaken welcomed Netanyahu and invited him to speak into the microphone, whereupon he told the audience that Israelis were proving that "the people of Israel are alive, strong, and happy."
Netanyahu's participation in the event was described as a surprise, while the Mako website reported that the visit had been arranged in advance and secretly between the Prime Minister's team and the event organizers.
The appearance drew criticism from some attendees and social media activists, who felt the event had turned, even briefly, into a political platform, especially with the Knesset elections scheduled for October 27.
The controversy led to calls to boycott Ben Zaken and demand her removal from the judging panel of "The Voice," while Netanyahu's appearance at the event turned into a wider debate about the limits of overlap between artistic events and politics in Israel.
