In Israel, Conan O’Brien Floats in Dead Sea, Dines with Netanyahu, Trains With IDF

Pictured Above: Conan O’Brien floats in the Dead Sea. Credit: Twitter.

(JNS.org) American television host Conan O’Brien visited Israel for the first time this week to film an episode of his “Conan Without Borders” show for TBS. The episode is scheduled to air Sept. 19.

When announcing the trip to Israel earlier this month, the comedian joked that he would be arriving around the same time as an American diplomatic delegation led by President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and senior adviser, Jared Kushner, and offered to “work with the guy (Kushner)” to advance peace talks.

The comedian’s five-day trip saw him go clubbing in Tel Aviv, schmooze with locals in the Old City of Jerusalem and enjoy reading a Hebrew-language Garfield comic strip while floating in Dead Sea. O’Brien also visited the disputed territories and smoked hookah with a Palestinian vendor in Bethlehem.  

On Wednesday, the television host trained with the IDF’s Caracal Battalion—one of Israeli military’s only mixed-gender combat units. On Monday night, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hosted O’Brien for a meal, and the comedian fed the Israeli leader’s dog cucumbers at the dinner table. 

“If you tried to give an American dog a cucumber, it would punch you,” O’Brien joked.

Throughout his trip, O’Brien jested with Israelis wherever he went, and documented his journey through the Holy Land with quips and photos on his Twitter account. His visit was coordinated with Israel’s Keshet Media Group and the Israeli Foreign Ministry.