'I stand with the Jews' - Singer Boy George performs pro-Israel 'We Will Dance Again' at Vancouver synagogue

British singer Boy George performed his new pro-Israel song “We Will Dance Again” for 800 congregants at Temple Sholom in Vancouver, Canada, ahead of the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah.

Wednesday’s performance reportedly marked the first time George had performed the song publicly. The song honors victims of Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, massacre, in which Hamas terrorists killed some 1,200 people, largely civilians, in southern Israel and kidnapped 251 others.

Due to security concerns, Temple Sholom prohibited audience members from recording the event.

“We don’t want the community out there to know that Boy George is here and show up afterwards waiting for him,” explained Amy Frankel, president of the Reform Temple Sholom.

The audience cheered when George sang the key lyric, “I stand with the Jews.” The event was organized in cooperation with the Center for Israel and Jewish Affairs and the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver.

Following the performance, George thanked the synagogue audience for the “absolutely magical” night. The event also included an onstage conversation between the British singer and Temple Sholom Rabbi Dan Moskovitz about George’s long-standing support for Israel.

George also discussed the origins of his pro-Israel song.

“I’ve recorded the song organically with this lovely man over here, Kevin Frost. Obviously, originally I put it up, on, you know, as an AI version… I went to New York, and I got an award from this magazine called Tablet, and they gave me this beautiful matzo. You know, it was like a beautiful thing, and I just felt like, why am I getting this award? I haven’t done anything,” he said.

“And then one Friday night, I was sitting in my house, and I started to write this song, and as I wrote it, I thought, you know what? I need to put it out… As much as people kind of feel like they’re against AI, I mean, all pop music for the last 30 years is artificial intelligence. Every band uses computers on stage, even rock bands,” he continued.

George recalled telling May Hayat, a survivor of the Nova Music Festival whose friends were killed in the attack, that he wanted to write a song, despite her initial reaction that he was “mad.” He said the song came to him naturally as he began writing, and that they recorded it secretly.

The veteran musician also expressed surprise that so many musicians spoke out against Israel following the Oct. 7 attack.

“I did a gig the other night. I wanted to sing my song, but it didn’t feel like it was appropriate. You know, it was just not the right thing to do. And you know, I’m criticizing Macklemore and this one and that one for doing that, but you know how I feel.”

George also discussed his views on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during the war in Gaza.

“I don’t hate him. What the f**k is he supposed to do? What is he supposed to do? Because he knows more than I do, and he knows more than all the people that are screaming and shouting ‘Free Palestine.’ All these people, and by the way, I’m not anti-Palestine. I’m not anti-anyone,” George explained.

“I don’t know what it’s like to run a country, particularly Israel, and I’ve been there many times, and I got the letters from Roger Waters telling me not to go. F**k off, I’m going. It’s like I love Israel, you know, and I’m going to be going in a couple of month's time,” he concluded, revealing that he is scheduled to perform in Israel in November.

Boy George has faced backlash following the release of his pro-Israel song. In early August, he announced that he was withdrawing from the London production of "Jesus Christ Superstar," in which he was scheduled to play King Herod.