Israeli singer Dana International recorded a plea this week calling for the release of the 240 Israelis held captive by the Hamas terror organization in the Gaza Strip.

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The video, created in cooperation with the Public Diplomacy Directorate, features 30 members of Israel's drag community led by Dana in in a song called "Free" that she performed in the Old City of Jerusalem at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1999 a year after she won the competition.

The video aims to mobilize the international LGBTQ community in support of Israel.

"These are not easy times," Dana International said. "It is very difficult for me. But I feel that we must gather strength and do everything for public diplomacy for Israel. It is important for me to convey that Israel spreads love. This is the spirit of the gay community. This is the Israeli spirit. The abductees in Gaza do not give me rest. I am suffocating. I cannot believe this is reality. It's important to tell the world that children, women and adults should not be part of the war. And everything should be done to bring them home now."

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Pop diva and Eurovision winner Dana International has recorded dozens of songs in several different languages, but she never thought she'd wind up singing the Hebrew alphabet, the singer said of her new single "Ivrit, Ahuvati" (Hebrew, My Love), which she has recorded as part of a new campaign to encourage aliyah.

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"After we finished recording, I was asked to teach a lesson via Zoom, but I think I'll pass on that. I'm really not cut out to be a teacher," she said.

The World Zionist Organization's Aliyah Promotion Department operates aliyah preparation centers in the Americas and in western Europe that teach future immigrants basic Hebrew. The department runs over 300 Hebrew classes a year in which some 4,000 students are enrolled.

"Hebrew, My Love" is a song that celebrates the Hebrew classes and is designed to encourage a sense of solidarity among the teachers and students, as well as encourage aliyah.

The song was composed by Guy Mensch, with words by Yoav Ginai, and in additional to Dana International's lead vocals feature the voices of students and teachers from the WZO's Hebrew classes around the globe.

The song officially debuted at the President's Residence in Jerusalem in a live performance on Sunday, which marked the birthday of Eliezer Ben Yehuda, the father of modern Hebrew. President Isaac Herzog and acting chairman of the Jewish Agency Yaakov Hagoel were both there, as was head of the WZO's Aliyah Promotion Department, Marina Rosenberg-Koritny.

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The English writers' agency The Blair Partnership has signed Dana International to work as a literary agent for writers from the LGBTQ community all over the world.

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Dana International, the agent, has been charged with finding new writers and voices and helping publish their work and bringing that work to an international audience.

The Blair Partnership is one of England's most prestigious literary agencies and its clients include Rowling.

The Israeli star was somewhat surprised when the agency reached out.

"It's not something I ever thought about doing, and admit I was a little worried about disappointing them. It took me two days to say I'd be delighted, and a few days later we were already discussing a few ideas they were happy to listen to, which bolstered my confidence," Dana said.

"I believe that in Israel there are enormous talents who would be huge throughout the world if it weren't for the language barrier. Maybe this project will get some of them published and appreciated," she added.

What piques the new agent's interest?

"I'm interested in reading writers from Russia, the Ukraine, Arab countries and places where homosexuality is outlawed, where the LGBTQ community lives in fear and in secret, and I believe that wonderful work can come from those places," she said.

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"Diva" ranked 14 by the Italian publication, but did not make the cut for a similar list published by the US-based magazine.

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The magazine rated the 15 most significant gay songs in the past 50 years to mark the 50th anniversary of the 1969 Stonewall – a series of spontaneous, violent demonstrations by members of the LGBTQ community against the New York Police Department over manifestations of homophobia and brutality against the community.

The events inspired the first gay pride marches, which took place in New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco in June 1970.

Rolling Stone Italia named Gloria Gaynor's timeless classic "I Will Survive" (1978) as the best pride song of all times.

Madonna's 1990 mega-hit "Vogue" ranked second, followed by Lady Gaga's "Born this Way."

Queen's iconic tune "I Want to Break Free" was ranked fourth, and Italian pop sensation Raffaella Carrà's "Fiesta" rounded up the top five.

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