‘I’m Very Grateful for You:’ British Singer Robbie Williams Shares Kind Words With Israeli Fans at Tel Aviv Concert

Shiryn Ghermezian

Robbie Williams performing in London at the Apple Music Festival. Photo: Drew de F Fawkes via Wikimedia Commons

At his live concert in Tel Aviv’s Yarkon Park on Thursday night, British pop sensation Robbie Williams talked to thousands of his Israeli fans about how much he appreciates their support and his love of Israel.

While singing his 1997 single Let me Entertain You towards the start of the concert, Williams, 49, shouted at the audience, “Allow me to reintroduce myself. My name is Robbie f__king Williams, yalla balagan!” using the Hebrew expression that means “let’s do this” or “let’s go.”

Williams, who last performed in Israel eight years ago, later talked to the excited crowd and told them “you have something incredibly f__king special here. I went for a walk the other night. I noticed a peace here. There is a peace here that I don’t feel in London; I don’t feel in Los Angeles.”

“Considering as a people you have so much going on, there is a calm and a sincerity,” he added. “Just by this walk, I felt you, I know who you are, I know how you are, and you mean an awful lot to me. It’s always very special coming out.”

Williams additionally spoke about wanting to raise his children with Jewish values. His wife, American-Turkish actress Ayda Field, is Jewish and the couple have four children.

“My wife is Jewish so my kids are Jewish. I like to keep some of the traditions going in the family, just out of respect to you guys and to their history,” he said before showing off a wrist tattoo of the word simcha, which means happiness in Hebrew.

“As I leave you here tonight, I’m very grateful for you being there over the years… and very grateful just for you as a people. God bless you,” Williams said.

Israeli Indie rock singer Noga Erez joined Williams during the concert for the duet Kids, which Williams originally performed with Australian singer Kylie Minogue.

Days before the concert, while strolling in Tel Aviv, Williams stopped to sing with a street performer. Together they performed his hit song Angels from his 1997 album.