Concert Speech on Israel-Palestine Conflict

Now, I want to address the question of where I

stand in the

situation in Israel and Palestine, and whether my doing this concert here

tonight implies where I stand.

Right here.

I have tried in my career not to be a political commentator of any kind,

because I

want my music and shows to be about unity, not division,

about humanity, not politics.

But this is a humanitarian issue, and I

cannot hide how I feel about it anymore.

What happened in Israel and at the Nova music festival on October

7th was

horrific and compounded centuries of Jewish pain.

What is happening in Gaza is catastrophic and

unjustifiable and disproportionate.

My heart has been broken by the scale of devastation and loss of

civilians' lives,

children's lives.

And the systemic injustice we're seeing unfold in the West Bank cannot be

overlooked.

I am already speaking to people across the spectrum to work out how to make a

contribution that helps victims at these terrible times, and listening

and learning, because I do not know enough.

I honestly am so grateful for people here standing with me.

This, this concert is still a place where everyone

is welcome, and

everyone here can stand beside people that have opposing views, and everyone

here can stand by people that they don't agree with on everything,

that

they can all agree on singing these songs.

And these songs are about love,

hope, and unity.