Image by Getty Images

Israeli fire fighters cancelled an event featuring the super model Bar Refaeli amid complaints that it was unsafe and damaging to nearby businesses.

The opening of a new store in the Urbanica chain, which Refaeli is promoting, was scheduled to take place Thursday at the largest shopping mall of Be’er Sheva in Israel’s south but was cancelled by order of the local fire brigade on grounds that organizers lacked proper documents. The venue did not have enough fire escapes to accommodate the number of onlookers expected there, the fire brigade said.

The cancellation follows complaints by business owners from the mall over the closure of its parking lot for the event, in connection with Bar’s presence there, nrg.co.il reported. Organizers requested management take this step, citing fears that her attendance would draw too many onlookers.

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis of the crisis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

Refaeli, 30, is considered Israel’s leading female model, featuring on the cover model of the 2009 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. A former girlfriend of the Hollywood film star Leonardo DiCaprio, she was voted #1 on Maxim magazine’s Hot 100 list of 2012.

But in recent months, Refaeli has faced criticism in Israel over prosecutors’ allegations that she had evaded paying taxes – which she denies – and the decision to shut down aerial traffic around the Haifa-area venue where Rafaeli had her wedding in September. Amid uproar over what was perceived as preferential treatment, Israel’s transportation minister eventually cancelled the closure.

A message from our CEO & publisher Rachel Fishman Feddersen

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning, nonprofit journalism during this critical time.

Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda

At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse..

Readers like you make it all possible. Support our work by becoming a Forward Member and connect with our journalism and your community.

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

Join our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.

$36 $500

$120 $180 Other amount