Over 10,000 fans showed up at Rishon Lezion’s Live Park Tuesday night.
By DAVID BRINNDisturbed’s David Draiman wears an IDF t-shirt at their show in Rishon Lezion on July 2, 2019. (Alon Levin)(photo credit: ALON LEVIN)
American rock superstars Disturbed put the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Movement in its place in a Zionist-loving, two-hour performance at the band’s Israel debut at Rishon Lezion’s Live Park Tuesday night.Over 10,000 fans showed up to sing along and fist-wave to the band’s hits, including their cover of Simon & Garfunkel’s “The Sounds of Silence.” But some of the night’s biggest applause came near the end of the evening when vocalist David Draiman sang “Hatikvah.”Disturbed’s Draiman sings ‘Hatikva’ in IsraelDraiman, who has visited Israel many times and has a slew of extended family here, spoke to the crowd in Hebrew throughout the show and at one point, donned a T-shirt with an IDF insignia and proclaimed, “This is for all the IDF soldiers.” Israeli flags were also flashed on the screen throughout the performance.For the Israeli fans of the band, the show had been long anticipated, and didn’t disappoint.“There was an immediate and undeniable connection between the band and the audience, both who were clearly waiting for this day for a long time,” said longtime fan Harry Rubenstein from Modi’in. “It was simultaneously a two-hour onslaught of fist-pumping melodic metal, and one of the most Jewish concerts I’ve ever attended since I saw Anthrax play ‘Hava Nagila.’ Also, my face melted.”“For me, it was amazing to finally see in person the man that sang in my ears all the way through high school,” said 32-year-old Yotam Kedmi from Jerusalem. “His speaking Hebrew felt genuine, not just memorizing a few words, and I think it was very brave of him to do it.”Earlier in the day, Draiman spoke to KAN radio, where he called BDS advocates “idiots” and “Nazis in suits.”Disturbed’s show in Rishon was its last on their lengthy world tour. In an interview with The Jerusalem Post last month, Draiman said that he, the band and their families would be staying in the country for a few days as tourists. “I’m going to take the band all over – to Yerushalayim, Ein Gedi, old Yafo – and give them a proper introduction to our homeland,” said Draiman.
