Soccer Dad

Surfin' for a bruisin'

Israelly Cool! has reported on the preference of model Bar Raphaeli to stay away from Israel.

Well she was in the news again.

Police detained eight-time world surfing champion Kelly Slater early Saturday after a scuffle with photographers who were trying to take pictures of him with an Israeli supermodel, police said.

Israeli photographers were waiting outside as the American surfer and model Bar Rafaeli left a hotel in the Tel Aviv suburb of Herzliya before dawn Saturday, police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said.

Slater pushed the cameramen in an effort to prevent them from taking pictures, a photographer at the scene told Channel Two TV.

"A brawl broke out and Slater was taken for questioning and later released," Rosenfeld said.

Raphaeli brought Slater to Israel despite earlier problems when she came with Leonardo DiCaprio after which she said:

Rafaeli later told an Israeli newspaper she wouldn't bring anyone famous to Israel "because there is a chutzpah here that you won't see anywhere else."

Apparently Slater's visit didn't accomplish what it was supposed to.

Slater, who is of Syrian descent, was visiting Israel for the first time as part of efforts by the group "Surfing for Peace" to promote reconciliation between Israelis and Palestinians through the sport.

Crossposted on Yourish.

israel, bar raphaeli, kelly slater.