Madonna made her return to the stage in Israel last night after a 16-year absence and told a crowd of 50,000: “Israel is the energy centre of the world.”
The concert, at Hayarkon Park in Tel Aviv, was the first of two to mark the end of her Sticky & Sweet tour. The second is this evening at the same venue.
She took the stage half an hour late and delighted fans when she grabbed an Israeli flag from the crowd and draped herself in it for her final song.
She told the audience: "I shouldn't have stayed so long away. Every time I come here, I get so supercharged with energy. I truly believe that Israel is the energy centre of the world. And I also believe that if we can all live together in harmony in this place, then we can live in peace all over the world."
Madonna arrived in Israel on Sunday and spent the evening visiting the Western Wall. On Monday she had dinner with opposition leader Tzipi Livni and she is expected to meet Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Friday.
Although she has not performed in Israel since 1993 she visited the country in 2004 and 2007. She has been practicing Kabbalah for more than 10 years and has adopted the Hebrew name Esther.
AFP: Madonna visits Western WallYnet: Madonna meets Tzipi Livni for dinner in Tel AvivSky News: Madonna causes controversy with Israeli flag display
