Despite the ‘Boycott, Disinvestment, Sanction’ (BDS) movement, the band performed on Monday (29th November) to approximately 15,000 enthusiastic fans at the Pais Arena in Jerusalem, the country’s capital.

will.i.am expressed his love and gratitude for his fans in both Israel and Palestine and stated that he hoped to perform in Palestine at some point in the future. 

Speaking at a conference in Israel earlier in the week, will.i.am said:

 “I’m a musician and a tech enthusiast and people like our music. Do I turn my back on people that live here because of politics? No, that’s not the way we were built. So, you know, there’s beautiful people here as well as beautiful people in Palestine. And one day we want to go there too.”

During the concert, members of the band made heart gestures with their hands whilst speaking about their host country and Palestine, in an effort to show support for their fans regardless of which side of the state they may be, and to remind people that music has the power to overcome politics and conflict. 

will.i.am has numerous links to Israel; from previous Israeli girlfriends, to investments in what is fast becoming the technology capital of the world, Tel Aviv. The band can probably also attribute some of its early success to an Israeli friend, who’s bedroom they used to make music in when they were new to L.A. This is their third performance in Israel, following shows in 2006 and 2007.

Black Eyed Peas – Some Quick Facts

• Formed: 1995, Los Angeles
• Records sold: 80 million
• will.i.am was first signed by N.W.A’s Eazy-E to Ruthless Records in 1992, in an effort to soften the label’s image.
• The band’s name comes from the food, with will.i.am saying that ‘Black Eyed Peas are food for the soul’
• They currently have just over 28.5 million monthly listeners on Spotify