President Isaac Herzog and his wife, Michal, hosted British pop star Boy George at the President's Residence in Jerusalem on Monday during the singer's visit to Israel. Boy George is scheduled to perform two concerts in Tel Aviv, one of which will be dedicated to the community affected by the October 7 massacre at the Nova music festival. Later Monday evening he visited the Western Wall.
During the meeting, Boy George told Herzog that his support for Israel had cost him numerous friendships, with people cutting off contact with him. In July, the singer released "We Will Dance Again," a song inspired by a phrase associated with survivors of the Nova festival massacre, accompanied by a music video featuring photographs of young people murdered at the event.
Boy George is welcomed to Israel by the president
Some friends, he said, never explicitly ended their relationships with him but simply stopped communicating. He admitted that their silence had been painful and continued to hurt, but insisted that he remained determined to follow his convictions.
The gathering was also attended by Sylvan Adams, president of the World Jewish Congress in Israel, Guy Beser, owner and CEO of Live Nation Israel, and members of Boy George's team.
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Herzog presents Boy George with a model of red anemone flowers, which symbolize the memorial site at Re'im, near the Nova festival site
(Photo: Haim Tzach/GPO)
Herzog expressed his appreciation for the singer's public support and presented him with a model of red anemone flowers, which symbolize the memorial site at Re'im, near the location of the Nova festival.
"In the three years since October 7th, Israel and Jews around the world have faced an onslaught of attacks," Herzog said. "In the worlds of culture, art, and music, which ought to bring people together, we have seen a particular strain of discrimination against Israelis and Jews run rampant."
"However, you stood up and said: ‘If you’re ever confused, I stand with the Jews. I don't feel brave, I just need to behave like a human.’ It was this simple yet profound message of moral clarity and decency in your song ‘We Will Dance Again’ that touched the hearts of Jews and Israelis everywhere,” the president also said.
President Isaac Herzog welcomes Boy George to Israel
(Photo: Haim Tzach/GPO)
Herzog said the red anemone symbolized the choice to embrace life, noting that the flower blooms again in the Negev every winter.
"And so will we. We will return, and we will dance again. The people of Israel love you, and thank you for standing with us."
'I don't regret what I did. Somebody had to do it'
Boy George responded with an emotional account of how writing the song had affected him personally.
"In some ways, the old Boy George no longer exists, because some people don’t see me in the way they used to, and a lot of other people see me in a new way. I feel like ‘We Will Dance Again’ has forced me to grow up. This experience has made me much more aware of what is out there emotionally and what challenges us," he said. "A rock 'n' roll star should never have to grow up, but this experience opened my eyes to what is happening around us."
"It cost me many friends, some of whom didn't even say goodbye. They just went silent. Nevertheless, even if I had written the song only for the people murdered at Nova, that would have been reason enough."
Boy George visits the Western Wall in Jerusalem
(Photo: Ohad Zwigenberg/AP)
The singer added that his personal connection to Judaism extended back decades. "But I have another reason. Since I was 14, my life has been very Jewish, and it is becoming more and more Jewish. I don't regret what I did. Somebody had to do it."
Former hostage Elkana Bohbot, who was abducted from the Nova festival on October 7, also attended the meeting and spoke about the personal significance of the song.
“For me, these words are not just the title of a song. They are life itself," Bohbot said. "I was kidnapped from the Nova festival, a place where people came to celebrate life and music. They tried to take away our freedom, but they will not take away our spirit. Today, after 738 days in captivity, I stand here free. Boy George, thank you for your friendship and for choosing to bring your music to Israel. On this occasion, I want to tell you: yes, we will dance again.”
Two Tel Aviv concerts, with 1,500 tickets donated to Nova survivors
On Tuesday, Boy George is expected to visit the Nova festival site at Re'im, meet survivors of the massacre and former hostages, and hold a news conference.
On November 4, he will perform at Menora Mivtachim Arena in Tel Aviv alongside Israeli singer Ivri Lider. A second concert is scheduled for November 7, featuring Israeli DJ and producer Offer Nissim as a special guest. The November 7 performance will be dedicated to the Nova community, with 1,500 tickets donated to survivors and bereaved families.
Sylvan Adams, president of World Jewish Congress Israel, also addressed the singer during the gathering, thanking him for taking a public stand.
“George, you aren’t Jewish, but the Jewish people are facing this wall of hatred, this organized wall of hatred. When we are attacked, we have no choice but to fight back. You, on the other hand, have chosen to engage in this moral campaign against the haters, and for this we are eternally grateful. We are delighted by your moving song and equally delighted by your visit. Keep singing ‘We Will Dance Again,’ and come back and visit us as often as you like,” he said.
From Culture Club to a return to Israel
Boy George, born George Alan O'Dowd, rose to international fame as the lead singer of Culture Club. The band broke through in 1982 with "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me?" followed by the global hit "Karma Chameleon."
In 1984, Culture Club won the Grammy Award for best new artist. Boy George later pursued a solo career and established himself as a DJ, fashion icon, songwriter and theater performer.
In May 2026, he appeared on "Superstar," a song by Senhit, who represented San Marino at the Eurovision Song Contest that year.
Before his upcoming concerts, Boy George's most recent performance in Israel was in 2017, at the same arena in Tel Aviv's Yad Eliyahu neighborhood.