British singer Boy George arrived in Israel on October 31 ahead of two scheduled performances in Tel Aviv, where he spoke about his support for his Jewish friends and his decision to speak publicly about Israel.
Boy George was welcomed at Ben Gurion Airport by Sylvan Adams, president of the World Jewish Congress Israel, and Guy Besser, co-owner of Live Nation Israel, the company responsible for organizing his performances.
Speaking at the reception, the singer said, “I am here with you — out of love, out of a belief in peace and out of a desire for us to dance, live and celebrate together again. I have many Jewish friends who are wonderful people, and I want to tell the world how wonderful they are. I felt I had to speak up and tell everyone your story.”
Reflecting on his song “We Will Dance Again” and what prompted him to speak out, Boy George described conversations with longtime Jewish friends in the UK.
“For me personally, it really boiled down to conversations with my close Jewish friends in the UK, people I’ve known since I was 15, reconnecting online over this whole thing and realizing: what has it got to do with them?” he said.
“It’s insane that they’re feeling so unsafe, powerless and frightened, and I just felt like I needed to say something. I’ve got a lot of beautiful friends, and I feel I can speak about them and tell the world that they’re beautiful people. Their appreciation has been really important to me and quite overwhelming, actually.”
Adams welcomed the singer and thanked him for his support, saying, “Welcome to Israel, we deeply appreciate your friendship, and your understanding that these are challenging times for Israel and the Jewish people.”
Boy George is scheduled to perform at Menora Mivtachim Arena on November 4, with Israeli singer Ivri Lider as a special guest. A second performance, on November 7, will be dedicated to the Nova community and their families, with DJ Ofer Nissim appearing as a special guest.
As part of his visit, Boy George is also scheduled to hold a press conference at the Nova Festival site on November 3.
1,500 tickets were donated by Sylvan Adams, in partnership with the Museum of Tolerance Jerusalem, and Live Nation Israel – Guy Besser and Shay Mor Yosef – for members of the Nova community. The tickets will be distributed by the Nova Association to survivors of the festival attacks and bereaved families.