R&B and soul singer Macy Gray brought more than her gift of music to Israel.

Gray, after asking fans in a Facebook message whether to cancel her concert dates in Tel Aviv, performed two shows as scheduled over the weekend. At the end of her Saturday night concert, Gray presented a $25,000 first-response motorcycle to United Hatzalah.

The rescue vehicle, with state-of-the-art first aid equipment, is meant "to save the lives of Jews, Christians and Muslims," Gray told the Hatzalah volunteers who joined her on stage.

Gray had received thousands of responses to her Facebook message, which read "I'm booked for 2 shows in Tel Aviv. I'm getting alot of letters from activists urging/begging me to boycott by NOT performing in protest of Apartheid against the Palestinians. What the Israeli government is doing to the Palestinians is disgusting, but I wana go. I gotta lotta fans there I dont want to cancel on and I dont know how my NOT going changes anything. What do you think? Stay or go?"

Several days after posting the Facebook message, Gray sent a Twitter message advising: "Dear Israel fans. Me and the band will be there in 20 days. Can't wait. See you then. Peace."

Gray issued a special statement at the end of January, following a meeting in Los Angeles with Israel's Consul General Jacob Dayan, saying that "I am choosing to perform in Tel Aviv because I believe in the power of music. I believe that it brings people together, and offers magic and escape and laughter and the opportunity to feel good and dance."

Gray performed in Israel in 2008 and 2009, as well as in 2000.

Meanwhile, French singer Vanessa Paradis canceled a performance scheduled for last week at the Tel Aviv Performing Arts Center. She had been scheduled to arrive in Israel with longtime boyfriend Johnny Depp and their two children, as well as an entourage of American and French celebrities from the music and film industries.

via jta.org