Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife were met with both boos and cheers as he took his seat at a performance of “Hamilton” Saturday night, according to JTA. Two women left the theater after shouting “Free Palestine” at the couple.
Liz Hoffman, a Wall Street Journal reporter, who was at the show tweeted that Netanyahu’s security entourage as including participants from the Secret Service, the TSA and “some guys who very much look like Mossad.”
https://twitter.com/lizrhoffman/status/779859133768032256
“The show started late because of his arrival — the heightened security slowed down seating,” said a theatergoer, reported Page Six of The Post. “But he still entered and sat down before the lights went down, so everyone was focused on him. There was a lot of applause when he walked in, but definitely a few loud boos.”
Another theatergoer bemoaned the tightened security caused by Bibi’s visit.
Daily Mail UK, noted that the prime minister gave his own version of events on Facebook, writing: “'When I entered the main hall of the theatre, more than 1,000 people welcomed us with enthusiasm. Many stood on their feet and applauded. Among the cheering crowd maybe one or two called out derogatory remarks.”
Netanyahu was in New York for the United Nation’s Assembly. His visit also included a meeting with President Obama on Wednesday, a U.N. speech on Thursday, and a meeting with Secretary of State John Kerry on Friday.
On Sunday, just in time for the debate, Netanyahu met with former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump to discuss their stances on Israel. According to the Daily Mail UK, Netanyahu and Trump discussed Israel’s use of security fences to protect its borders (a favorite topic of the presidential hopeful), while Clinton promised to work closely with Israel in the implementation of the Iran nuclear deal.
“Both of them talked about their support of Israel, and the importance of the ties between the two countries,” said Netanyahu after his meetings with both candidates, according to The Jerusalem Post. “It doesn't matter which of them will be elected, the support for Israel will remain strong, the alliance will remain strong, and will even get stronger in the coming years.”