Jerry Seinfeld Makes Waves During Israel Visit

Comedian Jerry Seinfeld made such a stir during his trip to Israel over the weekend, talk of his visit threatened to eclipse media chatter surrounding major upcoming Mideast peace negotiations, the AP reports today. Mr. Seinfeld was in the Holy Land to promote his new animated feature, Bee Movie, but the sojourn apparently seemed more like a state visit by a foreign dignitary. Very few entertainers who visit the country are able to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert or President Shimon Peres. Mr. Seinfeld, on the other hand, hung out with both men. He also toured the Israeli Holocaust memorial in a fashion normally reserved for heads of state.

His visit marked quite a change from Mr. Seinfeld’s last visit to Israel in 1971 as a 15-year-old on kibbutz. Speaking to reporters, the funnyman said, “I would be in the fields, and nobody wanted my autograph and nobody wanted to take their picture with me…They just let me hack away at those banana leaves, and no, I didn't meet the prime minister even once."

Referring to the regional political meeting requested by President Bush, which began today, an Israeli political analyst named Amon Abramovitz had only one thing to say: “Yada, yada, yada.”