LA Celebs Cough Up $60 Mil for Israel Defense Forces at Gala Event

Hollywood flocked to a gala for the Israel Defense Forces and raised a colossal $60 million for the armed force. Some of the celebrity attendees, however, faced a backlash online for appearing at the Beverly Hills event.

The Friends of the Israel Defence Forces (FIDF) annual gala was a star-studded event attended by actors like Ashton Kutcher and Gerard Butler, with Pharrell Williams providing the evening’s entertainment.

More from a great night in L.A. #fidfwrgala #fidf #pharrellwilliams Photos 📸 @shaharazran1

Публикация от shahar azran 1 (@shaharazran1) 3 Ноя 2018 в 8:18 PDT

FIDF announced it raised $60 million at the Beverly Hilton gala, the most raised at any single one of the organization’s events. It also said the biggest donors were Haim Saban and his wife, and casino magnate and Republican donor Sheldon Adelson and his wife, with each couple donating $10 million to the cause.

The gala drew 1,200 attendees, the organization said in a statement that listed Andy Garcia, Fran Drescher, Ziggy Marley, David Foster and Katharine McPhee among the celebrity guests.

“We are thrilled that so many members of our community, including major Hollywood figures, are coming together to help us support the brave men and women of the [Israeli army]. Standing behind these heroes is one of the greatest honors in my life,” Saban, a member of the FIDF board and chair of the event said.

Pharrell Williams stoped by #fidf gala in Los Angeles. We were very HAPPY to see him. 📸 @shaharazran1 #pharrellwilliams #israel #idf #grammyawards

Публикация от shahar azran 1 (@shaharazran1) 2 Ноя 2018 в 10:32 PDT

Was a pleasure to meet dear Cheryl Saban during this amazing 🌟FIDF Western Region Gala 2018..Gala Chairs Cheryl and Haim Saban..🌟PS:Featuring @davidfoster Friends.. #losangeles #gala #charity #usa #america #california #israel #photography #event #fidf #jews #jew #culture #haimsaban #beauty #pretty #beautiful

Публикация от Ilona Huzarevich (@ilonamodel) 2 Ноя 2018 в 12:02 PDT

Guests at the ‘Making a Difference: 70 Years of Heroes and Hope’ event were treated to a talk on the history of the IDF and heard from a number of soldiers.

The money raised goes towards helping the “educational, social, economic, recreational, spiritual, and cultural needs of IDF soldiers, as well as the families of fallen soldiers in defense of the State of Israel.”

Ashton Kutcher, known for his work with charities and humanitarian causes, faced criticism from his social media followers for attending the event, with many leaving outraged messages under his recent Instagram posts. His fellow actor Gerard Butler was also among the famous attendees singled out for criticism after the funding bash.

My Number 10 influential movie: the apartment. Masterful story telling. Simple. Honest. Respects the audiences intelligence.

Публикация от Ashton Kutcher (@aplusk) 27 Окт 2018 в 2:55 PDT