Madonna, in Israel, Calls for World Peace

By Stephen M. Silverman

09/20/2004 at 08:00 AM EDT

Madonna's had a bumpy five-day pilgrimage to Israel: After she was swarmed on Friday by paparazzi – some of whom reportedly got into a brawl with two of her bodyguards – she delivered a called for world peace on Sunday at a conference on Jewish mysticism.

Wearing a green-and-white patterned dress, Madonna, 46, said at a press conference that she was hesitant to come to Israel "after seeing so many news reports about terror attacks," reports the Associated Press. "I realize now that it is no more dangerous to be here than it is to be in New York," she told the gathering.

Madonna, raised a Roman Catholic, has become an avid devotee of Jewish mysticism in recent years. She has adopted the Hebrew name Esther, wears a red thread on her wrist to ward off the evil eye and reportedly refuses to perform on the Jewish Sabbath.

She said that those she met during her Holy Land visit "have one thing in common – we want to create peace in the world. ... We want to put an end to chaos and suffering, but most of all we want to put an end to hatred with no reason."

The singer, who is in Israel with husband Guy Ritchie, said she was not representing a religion. Rather, she said, "I'm here as a student of Kabbalah. A Kabbalist sees the world as a unified whole. A Kabbalist asks why."