JERUSALEM – Chris Noth (search), who played Mr. Big on HBO's "Sex and the City," greeted fans in Israel at Judaism's holiest site, the Western Wall (search) in the Old City of Jerusalem.
Noth is on a 10-day tour of Israel, sponsored by the Israeli Tourism Ministry. He also filmed a commercial Monday for a brand of Israeli deodorant.
"I feel great solidarity, as a New Yorker, being here in Israel," the actor told reporters Tuesday. "I hope to show Americans that they should come here."
Incoming Tourism Minister Gideon Ezra presented Noth with a certificate of appreciation.
"This visit is very important to us," Ezra told The Associated Press. "Many celebrities have come to Israel, and we take very good care of our visitors."
"Sex and the City," starring Sarah Jessica Parker (search), was shown on a local TV channel and gained wide popularity among Israelis. Noth played one of Parker's boyfriends on the show, which ran for six seasons.
Earlier this year, Madonna canceled three Israeli stops on her Re-Invention tour because of violence in the region.
Noth dismissed the dangers of visiting Israel as "nonsense."
He recently finished filming a new movie, "The Perfect Man."
Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox