In the interview, which was conducted during Lucas’ recent vacation to Israel, the director-producer said that he will shoot an adult production in Israel, and that the movie might encourage gay tourists to choose Israel as a vacation destination.
“Whenever I visit Israel, I hear the same nonsense. People ask me if I’m afraid of random suicide bombers and if I’m sane,” Lucas is quoted. “So it’s time people got a different outlook on Israel, and that’s exactly what I intend to do. I’ll show the global community that Israel is a country with plenty of amazing men and I have no doubt this will attract tourists. By the way, I’ve already made films in countries which later became community tourist destinations.”
Lucas, who is a Russian Jew, has visited Israel several times. Prior to his most recent trip to Israel, he was in Los Angeles for the XBIZ Industry Awards. He told XBIZ that he loves visiting Israel and goes once a year.
In 2006, he made a controversial appearance at a gay nightclub in Tel Aviv where he performed live and invited Israeli soldiers to attend the event for free. The article in Maariv mentioned that his activities have not always been well received by conservative members of the Israeli community.
“It didn’t really surprise me because there will always be people who aren’t pleased with the way I choose to do things,” he said. “But I know Israel to be a country that welcomes the homosexual community with open arms.”
The article goes on to profile Lucas’ childhood and his beginnings in the adult industry. His outspoken political views are also mentioned, such as the fact that his dislike of Muslims has made him a target for protesters and militant groups.
After the interview, Lucas said, "I was thrilled to be interviewed by Maariv. I've been giving more and more political interviews as of late, which make me very happy and proud. As a porn star you have to work twice as hard in order to be taken seriously by mainstream press, so I take this article with great pride."
Lucas, who is currently on location in Florida, plans on beginning production in Israel in May.
The interview was translated from English to Hebrew. To view Maariv online, click here.
For more information about Lucas’ recent Middle Eastern trip, visit his blog.
