Madonna began her MDNA Tour at Ramat Gan stadium near Tel Aviv, Israel yesterday and it was not coincidence that brought her there. Madge practices the Jewish mysticism known as Kabbalah and holds a special connection with the land that houses the world’s only Jewish-majority state. For this reason, she delivered an important message of peace to the crowd:

“I chose to start my world tour in Israel for a very specific and important reason. As you know, the Middle East and all the conflicts that occur here and that have been occurring for thousands of years, they have to stop,” Madonna told the crowd. “You can’t be a fan of mine and not want peace in the world.”

But Madonna’s plea for peace was a mixed message after her show opening in which the Material Girl broke onto the stage by busting through glass with the butt of a rifle and pointed the firearm at the crowd.

[PHOTOS] Madonna Performs in Tel Aviv

Madonna made headlines earlier in the week when she was videotaped during rehearsal transitioning from “Express Yourself” to Lady Gaga’s “Born This Way,” which she claims is a “reductive” of her original.

–E.J. Judge, WCBS/New York