Why Chuck Norris was an unlikely supporter of Benjamin Netanyahu revealed

When Chuck Norris died last week, tributes poured in from fellow ’80s action stars like Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jean-Claude Van Damme.

One perhaps less expected fan was Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Norris had been a vocal supporter of Israel and publicly backed Bibi in the 2013 and 2015 elections. But his roots in the country go back to his ’80s films after he signed a deal with two Israeli producers who would launch Norris’ career at the height of Stallone’s “Rambo” craze, and the dawn of the home video boom.

Chuck Norris was a vocal supporter of Israel and publicly backed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. POOL/AFP via Getty Images

Signing with Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus of pulpy, go-go Cannon Pictures, Norris shot three films in Israel, including “Delta Force” with Lee Marvin.

We asked Globus — who later became the president of MGM — about signing Norris early on when the duo made his popular “Missing in Action” franchise. “In the early ’80s, after he did one picture with Orion, we thought we should have this actor,” Globus said. “Video started to boom… We met him, his business manager, and his agent… to sign a 7-year exclusive deal and that’s how we started.”

Norris’ roots with Israel stretch back to the 80’s after he signed a deal with two Israeli producers. Frederic Meylan

Globus recalled to us that the gun-toting badass was a real pussycat. “He was a very wonderful man, a wonderful human, and I am very very sorry that he died,” the producer, 82, told us. He recalled traveling to Cannes and Israel with Norris. “He was a fun guy, as much as he was tough on the screen… he was a funny man. A very, very warm human being,” said.