Madonna's ticket giveaway to Israeli peace groups

Pop superstar Madonna handed out 600 tickets to her opening tour concert in Israel to peace groups in the country, according to reports.

The Material Girl's MDNA show debuted in Tel Aviv on Thursday (31May12), and the crowd at the Ramat Gan stadium was treated to an all-singing, all-dancing set.

Local reports suggest Madonna met with Israeli and Palestinian peace activists on Wednesday (30May12), and handed out free tickets for the sold-out concert to groups including the Palestinian Israeli Peace NGO Forum.

The organisation's chairman Ron Pundak tells Israeli news website Haaretz, "I am glad because Madonna appreciates Israeli and Palestinian peace activists who work together in advancing the peace and highlights this important issue in times of diplomatic stagnation."

During the show, Madonna told the audience that she chose the Holy Land as her first tour stop to push for peace in the Middle East: "I chose to start my world tour in Israel for a very specific and important reason. You can't be a fan of mine and not want peace in the world. We all bleed the same colour.

"If we can all rise above our egos and our titles and the names of our countries and our religions, and treat everyone around us with dignity and respect, then we are on the road to peace. If there is peace here in the Middle East, there can be peace in the whole world."