A Song for the Victims
Graphic by Angelie Zaslavsky
Within hours of today’s terrorist attack on the Kehilat Bnei Torah synagogue in Jerusalem’s Har Nof neighborhood, Israeli singer Amir Benayoun had already written, produced and released a new song about the killing of four Jewish worshipers by Palestinians.
The popular musician, who sings in Hebrew and Arabic, has a history of responding to political events. In 2010, Benayoun released a song called “I’m Your Brother,” in which he accused human rights activists in Israel of being the enemy for criticizing the Israeli state and its army. In 2013, he initiated a first-of-its-kind concert at the Cave of the Patriarch in Hebron. And in February of this year, he wrote a song attacking Obama’s policies on Jerusalem titled “Jerusalem of Hussein,” a play on the famous song “Jerusalem of Gold.”
Today’s new song is titled “Jewish Blood.” You don’t have to speak Hebrew to understand the gist of it — the mournful melody says it all — but you can read the lyrics in English below:
“Jewish Blood”
Another day
Another sad day
For Jerusalem
Another day when Jewish blood
Spills like water
Inside your synagogue
Father
When will this come to an end?
They just wanted to pray to you
For the good to come
If only
Indeed, a sad day
In the holy city
Another day when Jewish blood
Spills like water
In front of your eyes
Father
In front of the Torah ark
In front of the Torah ark
When will this come to an end?
More orphans defeated
More widows crying
More young children whose dreams are shattered
More orphan girls waiting
Once again, the devil breaks into dance
Does being Jewish mean to die each day, again and again?
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