EL AL | Atmosphere

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a contract, and I’d already paid them. In the end they did the show. There was also a demonstration outside the venue when I was doing a “Make a wish” show, and the show I was supposed to do in the Maldives got transferred to Thailand because a member of the Maldives parliament put up a social media post with a picture of me with Netanyahu and the word genocide on it, and a few days later, Israelis were banned from entering the Maldives”. So you’ve sort of become an ambassador, advocating for Israel. How’s that been like for you? “I’m a bit aggressive about it, in a good way. Whenever I’m on a TV show abroad, I immediately say I’m from Israel and invite the host to come visit. If I were living abroad, I’d probably be earning much more, but I actually really love living in Israel”. You’ve probably noticed Suchard stars in the EL AL safety videos, something that has made him immediately identifiable with the airline. “I’m also a very good customer”, he laughs. “I know there’s a tendency for people in Israel to be cross with our national airline, but when you’re stuck in Cyprus – who’s going to save you? I fly a lot with the kids, and the crew onboard always make everything easier and fun”. What has remained from the little boy that grew up in Haifa? “Everything”, he answers, laughing. “I’m that kid. I abhor arrogance. Honestly, I find all this success a bit embarrassing. I can’t quite believe it. There’s this Steve Martin quote I like: when asked what the secret to success was, he answered “be so good they can’t ignore you”. So that’s what I aim for, to be the best I can be – and I definitely have not been ignored”. ■

Photos: courtesy of Lior Suchard

"I abhor arrogance. Honestly, I find all this success a bit embarrassing. I can’t quite believe it. There’s this Steve Martin quote I like: 'be so good they can’t ignore you'. So that’s what I aim for, to be the best I can be” Above: preforming for Israeli soldiers. Below from the right: with Elon Musk, Kim Kardashian, and Barbara Streisand

Being the best he can be This past year, like many Israeli artists, Suchard has been performing for soldiers at army bases and for the wounded in hospitals. “At a hospital once, I had a few laughs with a guy who’d lost his two legs. As I was leaving, his mother came up to me and said it had been a year since he’d smiled. When Seinfeld was here, I took him to Tel HaShomer hospital to meet the wounded. Lots of entertainers have done it this past year, it’s not just me”. Have you felt the rise in antisemitism doing your shows this past year?

“The people I perform for, including in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar, are all businesspeople, and they all understand the situation we’re in. Those who don’t, are the idiots on TikTok. A few unpleasant experiences did occur”, he says. “This one time in Miami, two hours before the show, the technical staff discovered I was going on stage with the yellow “hostages” ribbon and that there was going to be a “Bring them home now” sign on stage. They said “sorry you’re on the side of genocide and we’re not going to do the show”. I told them they’d signed

26 ATMOSPHERE DECEMBER 2024