It would seem that U2 frontman Bono is a big fan of former Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Peres. At a Toronto concert on July 7, the Irish singer-songwriter dedicated his band’s 1992 hit, “One,” to Peres, who was sitting in the audience.

During the band’s encore, Bono turned the crowd’s attention to Peres, telling them, “There’s somebody here who’s got one of the hardest jobs on earth, somebody who has acted as the voice of reason in a region where the loudest voices are often the bellicose ones. Nobel peace laureate Shimon Peres is here in the house tonight.”

A U2 fan sitting up in the “nose-bleed section at the Air Canada Center” videoed parts of the concert and uploaded the clip to YouTube. World media quickly shared the surprising concert dedication.

“We understand, President Peres, that you have tried to be the voice of reason. And you’ve dedicated a lot of your life, all of your life, to try and bring peace in this really dangerous region,” Bono said. “We wish that you, who worked so hard for that incredible Oslo Accord, that you don’t give up on the two-state solution. At age 92, we know we can count on you.”

And then Bono dedicated “One” to Peres.

Bono also encouraged the 20,000 audience members to send love to Israel and the Palestinians and everyone else in the Middle East.

According to the Times of Israel, Peres – who was in Toronto for an economic conference – met Bono after the concert backstage. The Man of Peace prize-winning singer reportedly told Peres that his job was easy as he only sings about peace, while the Israeli politician realizes it.

Bono’s tribute to Peres starts at 17:40 in the video below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=1158&v=F3SyUQ_1WJw