Madonna has taken her Jesus to Israeli. Wasn’t something like this described in Revelations? Anyhoodle, Madonna is in the Holy Land to perform two “Sticky & Sweet” concerts in Tel Aviv. Does anyone think Madonna should have renamed the tour at this point? Let her call it “Hip Displacement & Crotchety” or perhaps “Man Arms & Grundle”. Before Madonna’s big Tel Aviv performances, she took her baby Jesus (Luz) to the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem. I’m pretty jealous. I’m not even that religious, and I’ve always wanted to go to Jerusalem and touch the Wailing Wall. Sigh. I love the History Channel – they did an “Inside Jerusalem” special that rocked. I bet Madonna saw it too!

Madonna also went out to dinner with Israel’s opposition leader Tzipi Livni last night – in interviews, Livni comes across as the smart, tough former Mossad officier she is, but I’m really disappointed she had dinner with Madonna. Bad call, Tzipi.

Madonna sparked a media frenzy when she visited the Jewish faith’s holiest site today.

Wearing high heels, blue jeans and a black jacket, the singer was accompanied by her Brazilian boyfriend Jesus Luz and several bodyguards when she visited the Western Wall in Jerusalem’s Old City.

Dozens of onlookers tried to get a glimpse of the diva while a crowd of photographers snapped away as the 51-year-old ducked into one of the tunnels near the pilgrimage site, which is also known as the ‘Wailing Wall’.

Madonna landed in Israel earlier today aboard a private jet. She is due to give two concerts in Tel Aviv as part of her Sticky and Sweet tour. During her visit, the star will meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and opposition leader Tzipi Livni.

A fervent practitioner of Kabbalah, Madonna is also due to attend a conference on the study of Jewish mystic discipline along with fellow Kabbalists, actress Demi Moore and her husband Ashton Kutcher.

In an article published in the popular Israeli newspaper, Yediot Aharonot, last month, Madonna recounted the long spiritual search that led her to Jewish mysticism.

‘I was raised a Catholic and my father was very religious, but none of my questions ever got answered,’ she said.

The Queen of Pop’s spiritual search led her to practise yoga and study Buddhism, Taoism and the Art of War – a 16th century military treaty – and to read about the early Christians. She said her search was over after she turned to Kabbalah.

In 1997, Madonna discovered a Los Angeles-based centre that teaches an eclectic mix of Orthodox Jewish tradition and positive thinking aimed at spiritual well-being. In 2004, she took the Hebrew name Esther but has not converted to Judaism.

From the point of view of Orthodox Jews, her studying the Kabbalah is sacrilege as they consider it should be reserved for married men over 40 who have pored over Talmudic texts for years. Madonna has previously visited Israel in 2004 and 2007 on private trips.

[From the Daily Mail]

Do Israelis take Madonna seriously at all? In most of the pictures I’ve seen from Madonna’s Excellent Holy Land Adventure, she’s being totally swarmed. But I always thought that orthodox and/or conservative Jews thought the whole Hollywood Kabbalah thing was a big joke. Come to think of, most everyone thinks it’s a big joke. Perhaps the Israelis were just excited to see the new love of Madonna’s life, the baby Jesus? That could be it.