Jewish rock star to Yarden Bibas: ‘Stay strong, brother’

“May the memories of your beloved children and your wife, Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir, be a blessing to you. Always,” Disturbed’s lead singer tells Yarden Bibas.

By World Israel News Staff

The lead singer of a prominent rock band recorded a heartfelt message to Yarden Bibas on Wednesday after the bereaved father chose one of his songs to play at his family’s funeral.

The funeral of Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir Bibas featured the song “Hold On To The Memories” by the alternative metal band Disturbed. The band’s lead singer and lyricist, David Draiman, is Jewish and a strong supporter of Israel.

Draiman posted a video to his Instagram account in which he directly addressed Yarden Bibas.

“Dear, dear Yarden. Shalom achi [hello my brother.] I am so, so very sorry for your loss. All of Am Israel [the Jewish people] is crying with you today. Hold on to the memories of your family, of your children, of your beloved wife. We all will,” Draiman said.

“As long as we hold them in our memory, they’ll stay there. May the memories of your beloved children and your wife, Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir, be a blessing to you. Always,” he continued.

“Am Israel Chai achi [the people of Israel live.] Stay strong,” Draiman concluded.

Since the onset of the October 7th war, Draiman has used social media to combat anti-Israel and pro-Hamas narratives.

In March 2024, a video of Draiman speaking to the crowd at a Distrubed concert went viral as he railed against the Hamas terror group.

“I miss people who were slaughtered like animals at the Nova Festival. Rape is not resistance. Slaughtering innocents at a music festival that brings together people from all walks of life is not resistance,” he said.

“I genuinely feel empathy for the Palestinian people. There is not a single Jew on this planet that does not celebrate life. We celebrate life. Hamas celebrates death, and they need to be eradicated; not the Palestinians, Hamas. We need to save Gaza from Hamas.”

At the time, Draiman told the Jewish Chronicle that he “lost friends at the Nova Festival. So many were slaughtered. Even after all of these months, I can’t shake the state of shock.”