Yes, dear friends,it’s that time of the year again,
Yom Ha-Atsmaut, Israeli Independence Day. Time to get out our blue and white flags, decorate our cars, and be proud of this tiny miraculous nation of ours. Stand up, sing Hatikva, swell your heart, shed a tear.
But what about the minority groups living in our midst? Christians and Muslims, Bedouins and Druse, Whether or not they serve in Zahal (and many do), it’s their country too. They are Israelis. But what have they got to sing about on Yom Ha-Atsmaut? 2000 years of longing? An eye towards Zion? The unquenchable Jewish spirit? I don’t think so. We can talk integratsia heint biss morgn, but the Israeli national anthem is just non- accessible to non-Jews.
Don’t think I’m advocating scrapping Hatikva; I’m not. Sing it high and sing it loud, I’m a Jew and I am proud. Nevertheless, the inability to sing a common anthem on independence day is the wedge ( some might say ‘wedgie’) that is driving us apart. And, no, I don’t think “Yafyuffa, Bo’ee ely, tnee li nishkka all hasfatayyim***” is going to do the trick. And so, I have courageously undertaken this difficult challenge to pen an anthem we all can sing.. So far, it has met with very warm response; I’ve had my car torched by Jews, Moslems, Christians and Druse on alternate Sabbaths. Ladies and gentlemen, here it is, for the first time ever…
_____________________________________________
***this song, a recent number 1, is sung in Arabic accented Hebrew and means, Hey, sweetie, get over here and give me a kiss on the lips.
Yom Ha-Atsmaut, Israeli Independence Day. Time to get out our blue and white flags, decorate our cars, and be proud of this tiny miraculous nation of ours. Stand up, sing Hatikva, swell your heart, shed a tear.
But what about the minority groups living in our midst? Christians and Muslims, Bedouins and Druse, Whether or not they serve in Zahal (and many do), it’s their country too. They are Israelis. But what have they got to sing about on Yom Ha-Atsmaut? 2000 years of longing? An eye towards Zion? The unquenchable Jewish spirit? I don’t think so. We can talk integratsia heint biss morgn, but the Israeli national anthem is just non- accessible to non-Jews.
Don’t think I’m advocating scrapping Hatikva; I’m not. Sing it high and sing it loud, I’m a Jew and I am proud. Nevertheless, the inability to sing a common anthem on independence day is the wedge ( some might say ‘wedgie’) that is driving us apart. And, no, I don’t think “Yafyuffa, Bo’ee ely, tnee li nishkka all hasfatayyim***” is going to do the trick. And so, I have courageously undertaken this difficult challenge to pen an anthem we all can sing.. So far, it has met with very warm response; I’ve had my car torched by Jews, Moslems, Christians and Druse on alternate Sabbaths. Ladies and gentlemen, here it is, for the first time ever…
_____________________________________________
***this song, a recent number 1, is sung in Arabic accented Hebrew and means, Hey, sweetie, get over here and give me a kiss on the lips.
.
.
A National Anthem in two voices -- for two nations:
המנון בשתי קולות -- לשני עמים
המנון בשתי קולות -- לשני עמים
(Tune: Hatikva. I assume you are all familiar with it. Jews sing the blue words, Arabs sing the red words, and everybody sings the black words. )
PS: Henceforth ‘Arab’ refers to all Arabic speaking minorities )
We share one tiny country, the Arab and the Jew
How can we sing a birthday song to you?
We eat the same Hummus, swear a common CUSSSSSSS--,
Sing for the country that is a home to us.
Though we share a blue toodat zehoot
(At the same time: ) : Jews: We are proud / Arabs: We are sad
on yom ha-astma oot!!
To live freely on our own homeland,
Arabs : With el Kuds--
Jews: no cuts--
(all: )Yerushalayyim!
(repeat, or for Arabic speakers, rebeat) To live freely on our own homeland,
Arabs : With el Kuds--
Jews: no cuts--
(all: )Yerushalayyim!
Second verse
Jew: It’s a Jewish country, where all the Jews belong,
If you want to join us, you gotta sing our song
Arab: They tell me wave the flag, but I don’t feel so good.
Though I draw the line at Itbach El Yahood!!
All: (Simultaneously: We / you) say Hashem Gadol,
(you / we) say Allllah Akbar,
(Simultaneously: We /you) have the hitnatkut,
just like (you/ we ) have Nakba!
All: Peace in a Pita, whole or cut in Hetzi,
Jews: but no cuts,
Arabs: El Kuds !,
All: Yerushalayyim!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.
All: Peace in a Pita, whole or cut in Hetzi,
Jews: but no cuts,
Arabs: El Kuds !,
All: Yerushalayyim!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.
__________________
Barry Silverberg,
Kiriat Shmona, Month of IYYAR, 2010
How can we sing a birthday song to you?
We eat the same Hummus, swear a common CUSSSSSSS--,
Sing for the country that is a home to us.
Though we share a blue toodat zehoot
(At the same time: ) : Jews: We are proud / Arabs: We are sad
on yom ha-astma oot!!
To live freely on our own homeland,
Arabs : With el Kuds--
Jews: no cuts--
(all: )Yerushalayyim!
(repeat, or for Arabic speakers, rebeat) To live freely on our own homeland,
Arabs : With el Kuds--
Jews: no cuts--
(all: )Yerushalayyim!
Second verse
Jew: It’s a Jewish country, where all the Jews belong,
If you want to join us, you gotta sing our song
Arab: They tell me wave the flag, but I don’t feel so good.
Though I draw the line at Itbach El Yahood!!
All: (Simultaneously: We / you) say Hashem Gadol,
(you / we) say Allllah Akbar,
(Simultaneously: We /you) have the hitnatkut,
just like (you/ we ) have Nakba!
All: Peace in a Pita, whole or cut in Hetzi,
Jews: but no cuts,
Arabs: El Kuds !,
All: Yerushalayyim!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.
All: Peace in a Pita, whole or cut in Hetzi,
Jews: but no cuts,
Arabs: El Kuds !,
All: Yerushalayyim!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.
__________________
Barry Silverberg,
Kiriat Shmona, Month of IYYAR, 2010
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