Gene Simmons: KISS this

While Gene Simmons and KISS guitarist Paul Stanley are working on their memoir of the band’s early years, Simmons’ own early years are continuing to influence him big time.

Born Chaim Weitz in Israel, Simmons spent the first eight years of his life there.  He and his holocaust-survivor mother, Flora Klein, then

emigrated to New York City.  His father remained in Israel, and growing up without his presence affected Simmons greatly.  Both of Simmons’ parents were from Hungary - and Simmons speaks fluent Hebrew, Hungarian, English and German.  (He is also studying Japanese and Mandarin Chinese.)  His mother’s maiden name “Klein” means “Kiss” in Hungarian.

Young Eugene Klein, as he was known after moving to New York, studied diligently at Yeshiva Torah Vodaath in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.  He has continued to maintain strong feelings about Israel.  His “KISS this” attitude is particularly strong regarding Middle East politics.  Simmons was an ardent supporter of George W. Bush’s foreign policy.  These website writings reflect Simmons’ feelings regarding the 2003 Iraqi invasion:  I’m ashamed to be surrounded by people calling themselves liberal who are, in my opinion, spitting on the graves of brave American soldiers who gave their life to fight a war that wasn’t theirs… simply to liberate the people therein.

Simmons’ CNN-televised response to President Obama’s 2011 comments regarding the pre-1967 Israeli/Palestinian borders was this:  If you’ve never been to the moon, you can’t issue policy about the moon…  how about you live there and try to defend an indefensible border – nine miles wide?    

Simmons has been just as emphatic about his love for America. This is a very personal love, motivated by his earliest memories:  I will be forever grateful to America for going into World War II…  and rescued my mother from the Nazi German concentration camps.  She is alive and I am alive because of America.  And, if you have a problem with America, YOU HAVE A PROBLEM WITH ME.

Resources

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gene_Simmons

http://www.aetv.com/gene-simmons-family-jewels/meet-family/gene-simmons.jsp

http://www.gibson.com/en-us/Lifestyle/News/kiss-0803-2011/

http://www.genesimmons.com/news/042003.html

http://articles.cnn.com/2011-05-19/politics/obama.israel.palestinians_1_israel-palestinian-conflict-borders-settlements?_s=PM:POLITICS

Copyright August 3, 2011 by Linda Van Slyke   All Rights Reserved