After he auditioned for the show while speaking publicly on behalf of Israel during wartime, and was reprimanded and ultimately fired for that and other infractions, Israeli government spokesman in English Eylon Levy will not participate in the upcoming season of Israel's "Dancing with the Stars," according to a decision of the show's producers.
The producers of the program waited until the last moment, but in the end they decided to pass on Levy's participation, even though he has been one of the dominant voices in television studios around the world and a prominent national and international figure during the war.
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Fired Israeli government spokesman in English Eylon Levy was not chosen to appear on 'Dancing With the Stars'
Levy was at the center of a storm after he was suspended more than two weeks ago for tweeting against British Foreign Secretary David Cameron. The tweet provoked a sharp protest from Britain, which demanded clarification on whether Levy's comments represented the official stance of the Israeli government.
Today, the production announced that Israeli singer Izhar Cohen will appear as one of the Israeli stars on the program, as well as three Olympic medalists: Linoy Ashram, Ori Sasson and Jordan Jarbi. Other participants include former Eurovision winner Neta Barzilai, as well as retired news anchor Geula Even-Sa'ar, comedian Mariano Idelman, and singer Avi Aburomi.