Big name music stars to headline Tel Aviv solidarity concert for Hebron IDF shooter

"The soldier is like the son of the entire nation of Israel and on Tuesday I will be coming to support him and his family," Eyal Golan wrote.

By ARIK BENDER, NOAM AMIR/MAARIV HASHAVUA, JPOST.COM STAFF
Updated: APRIL 18, 2016 05:54
Eyal Golan (photo credit: PR)
Eyal Golan
(photo credit: PR)
The family of the IDF shooter, who is expected on Monday to be indicted for manslaughter for the shooting death of an incapacitated Palestinian terrorist last month, is organizing a solidarity event in Tel Aviv for their son with the participation of some big name Israeli singers.
The soldier is currently restricted to open detention on his army base.
The Tel Aviv event for the soldier is set for the city's central Rabin Square with the participation of star singer Eyal Golan, the rapper Kobi Shimoni, (a.k.a. Subliminal), David D'or and others.  
Politicians were quick to react after the news of the concert broke on Channel 2. 
"Justice will be done in accordance with the values of the IDF in the courtroom, and not in the town squares," Zionist Union MK and former justice minister Tzipi Livni told Channel 2.
"What Israel needs right now are not artists singing what the crowd wants to hear in the square, but rather a leader that stands together with the IDF, its commanders and values and the legal system," Livni added. 
Eyal Golan, one of the most popular singers in Israel, wrote words of support for the soldier on social media. 
"The soldier is like the son of the entire nation of Israel and on Tuesday I will be coming to support him and his family," he wrote.  
MK Erel Margalit (Zionist Union) called on Golan to cancel his participation in the event.
"Eyal do not go from a national singer to a nationalistic singer. I call on you Eyal to cancel your performance that weakens the IDF and that does damage to the judgment of the commanders," Margalit wrote.
"To my dismay, the prime minister [Benjamin Netanyahu] has given the go ahead for the masses to set the tone on the matter of this soldier, and Eyal Golan is perpetuating the spirit that Netanyahu has created," he added.
The incident, that took place in Hebron, was picked up on a video distributed by B'Tselem, went viral online and has dominated the airwaves with a war of words over the soldier's guilt or innocence pitting Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon and IDF Chief-of-Staff Lt. Gen. Gadi Eisenkot, who condemned the soldier, against various politicians on the Right, who say they rushed to judgment.
Yonah Jeremy Bob contributed to this report.