Israel last night hosted an evening of music in the hall of the United Nations General Assembly, designed to highlight Israeli diversity and to emphasize Israel’s desire for peace with its neighbors. The “Tunes for Peace Concert” program featured one of Israel’s most popular and acclaimed singers, Iranian-born Rita Yahan-Farouz, singing in Farsi, Hebrew, and English.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon introduced the evening:

Tonight’s concert is a reminder of the magic of music to transcend cultures, build bridges, and connect people. Let that spirit inspire diplomats and leaders everywhere to work for peace, strive for solidarity and seek global harmony for peace, justice and human rights for all. I thank the Government of Israel for organizing this event. I have no doubt that this will be a memorable evening. Enjoy the show.

Israel’s ambassador to the U.N. Ron Prosor explained the political significance of the event:

Rita sang in Persian, Hebrew and English to the packed hall during an event that sent a very intentional message from Israel to Iran that it’s strategic enemy is a nation rich in culture and in search of peace… “It’s saying, through music, that we have nothing against your people,” Prosor said. “And while you play the drums of war, we’re playing songs of love and peace. That’s a different message, and I’m sure that to people in Iran who listen to this, this will make a difference.”

This video of the concert, uploaded to YouTube by the watchdog group UN Watch, includes the speeches at the beginning of the evening. We went ahead and plugged in the settings to skip all that and go right to the concert. Click to play: