Here's an interesting story you may not have heard: Since 2008, Israel has reworked its tax code, a la New York City and Vancouver, to encourage film studios to shoot movies there. As of 2011, the government is offering up to $400,000 in tax breaks per project, and Jerusalem is prepared to provide more than $12 million in additional subsidies.
Barkat recently visited Hollywood to promote Israel’s juicy film production incentives. Making films and television in Jerusalem is "not only good business, it’s good Zionism," Barkat told The Hollywood Reporter.
Jerusalem is not only providing a red carpet lined with free dollar bills to film studios, the city also founded a department to better issue filming permits and to aid with logistics. It's also founding a L.A. satellite office to improve relations. Perhaps this endeavor borrows a play out of the restoring Jersey Shore? A Twitpic of Homeland’s Damien Lewis taking cues in Haifa could go a long way to demonstrate to Tinseltown how easy it is to get a crew set up in Ein Karem. Hollywood is superficial like that.
During his barnstorming tour, Barkat met with studio execs on both sides of the aisle. Vocal Hollywood Republican Jon Voight hosted Barkat at Pat Boone’s Beverly Hills manor. Polar opposite from Voight is Hollywood mogul, Obama mega-donor, and most important, Power Rangers progenitor Haim Saban, who calls Jerusalem "a magical environment for filming." Saban even promised to shoot his next live-action series in the City of David.
I wonder how his fellow Democrats will feel. This is the party, remember, that infamously booed the inclusion of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel in its 2012 national platform.