Justin Timberlake Instagram Photo in Israel Stirs Controversy Among Palestinians [Photo]
Justin Timberlake found himself in the middle of a contentious debate between pro- and anti-Israel fans after he posted a picture of himself praying at the Western Wall, sparking a storm of controversy.
After landing in Israel for his Wednesday night performance in Tel Aviv, the 33-year-old superstar shared a picture of himself praying at the site on Instagram, along with the caption "The Holy Land... What an experience. I will never forget this day #Israel."
Although the post received over 250,000 likes, a number of people left comments criticizing the singer for referencing Israel.
"There was never an Israel, this was always Palestine," wrote one fan, reports Celeb Dirty Laundry. Another user wrote, "Correction : you are in Palestine not israel #disapointed."
According to the New York Daily News, one person said "Israel is defiantly not holy land. they kill palestians every single day for nothing!."
In response, several fans left comments defending Israel.
"All that the people in israel want its live in peace .not war," wrote one user. " I can tell u that israel people dont bomb buses . And not kill little children."
While most fans were pretty satisfied with the international star's show, the Times of Israel points out that an impromptu marriage proposal featured in the performance turned out to be a phony ploy.
Although Eliran and Ilana Elgozi have been married for two months, they attended the concert with a sign that said Eliran promised Ilana he would propose if Timberlake take a selfie with them. At one point during the concert, the pop icon granted their selfie request. Eliran then subsequently proposed--for the second time.
Later on he explained in a Facebook post that they did not plan a ploy just to get a picture with Timberlake, and instead it was a romantic gesture to his wife. He wrote that after their disappointing wedding, he promised himself that he would show his wife, who supported him when he "slept on a mattress, didn't have a shekel for a cucumber and didn't leave him when he was alone and had no family," how much he loved her.
"Luckily Justin is an amazing guy... and helped me do it the right way this time," Eliran wrote. "It was even more than I could have imagined."