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Bar Refaeli

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Supermodel Bar Refaeli - the first international Zionist celebrity

While all of us weren't looking, Bar Refaeli became one of the hottest celebrities in the U.S. How did the Israeli model conquer the blogs and the gossip columns, and why do the Americans love her so much?

Many Israeli stars have tried their luck in the land of endless possibilities, and at best got 30 seconds of screen time, usually portraying a Lebanese terrorist. In fact, it has been a long time since an Israeli immigrant was able to win over the hearts of the American public, star in the tabloids and gain the adoration of teens in the land of Uncle Sam. Then came Bar Refaeli.

Surprisingly, the young Rafaeli overcame numerous obstacles and wormed her way into the warm lap of American gossip columnists with incredible speed. Granted, her relationship with Leonardo Dicaprio contributed to her growing popularity, but other Israeli stars with famous American boyfriends failed to translate their romantic relationship into the kind of international celebrity Refaeli enjoys (for example, Milli Avital who dated David Schwimmer, the star of "Friends.")

So what is the Israeli model's secret? A short examination of leading internet blogs in the U.S. reveals some clues, but no, it is not just her enviable thighs.

Gossip Website Icelebz, which contains pictures of such Hollywood powerhouses as Angelina Jolie and Lucy Liu, offers no less than 154 pictures of Refaeli, as well as a short biography. The site describes Refaeli as an "Israeli international model" and showers her with compliments while listing the campaigns she took part in and the awards she has received. It doesn't mention Dicaprio anywhere.

And indeed, over the last two months, Refaeli has become a hot item in her own right. Regardless of Leonardo Dicaprio, everyone wants to know who she's modeling for, where she's hanging out and especially how scantily clad she is in photographs. One of the foremost American gossip Websites "Splash" posted a revealing photograph of Refaeli with the caption "Bar Refaeli is smokin' hot ? Gisele who?', referring to Dicaprio's former supermodel girlfriend Gisele Bundchen. A short blurb explains that the picture was taken on the beaches of San Tropez, by paparazzi who made the long trip just to capture Refaeli's image.

Recently, Refaeli was photographed for the second year in a row for the prestigious annual Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue, an honor reserved for only the top echelon of supermodels. Alongside a gallery of 50 photographs of the Israeli model, the magazine's Website offers an in depth interview with Refaeli, in which she is asked "If [you] could be anywhere else in the world right now, you would be?" to which she replied "I don't want to be anywhere else. I'm in L.A. right now and I love it."

There is also a page dedicated to Refaeli in the biggest American movie database IMDb, which offers photos and mentions her short-lived television career in the Israeli telenovella "Pick Up".

Smaller Websites and blogs try to entice readers with headlines such as "what did Refaeli do this weekend?" and "who is Bar Refaeli dating?"

If you need further proof of Refaeli's popularity outside the gossip circle ? the Jewish magazine Heeb which covers popular and alternative culture, saluted the "most beautiful Jewish girls in the world", with Refaeli gracing the cover, in the last issue.

So, why did Refaeli succeed where so many beautiful and talented girls failed? Maybe it is her penchant for posing in the nude and clinging to Leonardo Dicaprio, maybe it is her exotic and healthy beauty (in comparison with anorexic waifs like Gisele and her contemporaries) or the fact that she has renounced all her Israeli characteristics. Whatever the reason is, there is no doubt that while none of us were looking, Bar Refaeli became the first Zionist celebrity, and it appears that the day is not far off when people will ask "Leonardo Dicaprio, isn't he the one who used to date Bar Refaeli?"

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1010199.html

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    "maybe it is her exotic and healthy beauty (in comparison with anorexic waifs like Gisele and her contemporaries)"

    Ok Bar is really exotic, healthy & beuty .... But, come on i love Bar ... But let's be clear, Gisele is not anorexic & her contemporaries either, i mean just look my girl Adriana Lima, Alessandra Ambrosio, Isabeli Fontana, Karolina Kurkova, Marisa Miller ... if their anorexic, i want to be anorexic too! ...

    I think that site it's really bad! ... But thanks for the note anyway, im happy cuz Bar is so successfull now for her onw & not for being "Leonardo DiCaprio's Girl", that's really really good for her

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    Wow, that article was far more wishful-thinking than fact! :laugh: Bar has got potential to become more famous in the U.S., but she's virtually unknown here outside of her relationship with DiCaprio (which gets very little press anyway).

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    ^ That is pretty true. If I say Bar Rafaeli in a conversation with most people, they'll either be like "Who?" or "You mean Leonardo DiCaprio's girlfriend". But I think she certainly has a good future also considering the fact she has a pretty good accent. :neo2:

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    :wave: Thanks Moy for the link. Just like in "Where's Waldo" I was thinking about "Where's Bar." I knew I would get the answer here. This is the only place I come to get the latest information on Bar. The last time Bar was photographed in public was a week ago at the Chopard party in Spain. I'm happy that Bar's in Israel to visit her family and friends which makes her so happy. Bar is very close to her parents and siblings which is something that I can relate to. Bar does not look angry, she just seems tired. I hate the way the media distort everything.

    Hi Kerrilynn, nice to hear from you. I wanted to clear up something about the "Ynet" link that I wanted translated. Bar was photographed in St. Tropez on July 29th and the article was dated July 30th so I thought that maybe Bar had just arrived in Israel. I don't think that's the case because according to some links from this forum Bar left to Spain from France. Please keep us posted if your friend at JFK airport sees Bar who I'm sure will be coming to see her man Leo soon. I don't believe the rumours of a split. My friend, a big Leo fan, told me he's been in New York City for the last week without Bar. If Bar hasn't been with Leo it's because she's been working and she needs to visit her family. Please everyone don't believe all the sordid gossip from all the haters who want to see these two beautiful people apart. It's all about jealousy. I'm almost positive that Leo and Bar are still a couple.

    Hi Solange, I didn't put up the link you inquired about, it was Vida's. Keep up the good work you do on this forum. I look forward to reading your opinions. They make me think and sometimes question things myself.

    Hi Lye2003, I appreciate all the wonderful work you do on this fourm. You find the most amazing pictures of Bar! I do have a small request. If it's possible can you put the date on some of the photos? I get confused when I see photos I haven't seen before and don't know if they were recently taken or are from the past. I also enjoy seeing older photos of Bar because I somtimes see details I've missed. Thanks.

    Bar's is becoming more famous everyday in America. She's definately more famous in Europe because they're so much more into fashion than Americans. Bar is the it model right now. Bar is definately in the running for next year's S.I. cover because of her popularity with their readers. Pretty soon Bar will be just as well-known in America as Gisele and the other famous models.

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