Gene Simmons, KISS Star Speaks Up for Israel

Nadene Goldfoot
Gene Simmons, co founder of the hard rock supergroup, KISS,  is a Sabra, the Israeli-born Chaim Witz, born in  Tirat, Carmel, Israel in August of 1949, the year after the declaration of Israel as a  state.  His family had immigrated to New York when he was a child. 

Gene was like many Jews who had voted for Obama, but is speaking out now and telling him that he has no idea about Israel and would if he lived there.  Gene realizes that it is terrible to suggest that Israel should be at the 67 line and then make concessions. 

Gene is a musician,  an American rock bassist, singer, songwriter, actor, businessman and member of KISS.  His parents were from Hungary.  His mother is Flora Klein.  In German Klein means "small" but in Hungarian it means "kiss."  She and her brother  Larry were the only ones to survive the Holocaust out of their family.  His father, Firi Witz, stayed in Israel while his wife and child left for New York.  Gene attended the Yeshiva Torah Vodaath in Williamsburg in Brooklyn from the age of 7 on. 

He is best known as a member of KISS and for his TV show, "Gene Simmons-Family Jewels". 

Like he said, "When you grow up, you see that life is not like you thought it was."  He suggests that Obama go live in the 9 mile wide section of Israel to see how he likes it. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YK7UGytvs8&feature=share
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005430/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gene_Simmons

Gene Simmons, KISS Star in Israel

Gene Simmons, alias Chaim Witz was born in Israel.  He left at the age of nine but has just returned for a visit after 52 years of living in the states.  His father had been a survivor of the Auschwit death camp. 

So many Hollywood stars are actively boycotting Israel, but this superstar called them "idiots."  His comment about Israel was that "there ain't no place like Israel on Earth.  It's amazing to be back here," said the 61 year old co-founder of KISS when he was in Jerusalem Tuesday at the the David Citadel Hotel.  He came with an entourage including his companion Shannon Tweed and their son Nick.  They were all in Jerusalem to film part of their "Gene Simmons Family Jewels." The group took over eight rooms in the hotel.

He commented that he had forgotten a lot of his Hebrew language but did manage to remember some of it.  After all these years he's finding that it has changed a lot. 

He was there not that far from the Egged bus bombing. 
 
http://www.jpost.com/LandedPages/PrintArticle.aspx?id=213425