Israeli Singer Calls for Death of President Obama in Song
Articulate: Benayoun was calm and articulate in an interview with the Forward. Image by OHAD ROMANO
The popular Israeli singer Amir Benayoun released a song that wishes for the death of President Barack Obama, whom he refers to as a “treacherous creature.”
Benayoun, who previously has been accused of racism and incitement, posted the song Monday on Facebook. He deleted it after receiving negative feedback on his page.
“I was glad to receive your responses to the song I posted. As an artist, it is important to me to express my opinions fully. But for now, I decided to consider your responses, which I appreciate, and take my thoughts, musings and songs … elsewhere,” he wrote on Facebook.
According to the Times of Israel, the song lyrics include passages such as “I bought myself a crow with a fabulous little mustache, even though there are many like those available for free, Because of my fondness for Obama, I’ll just say that I named him after the ugly president” and “the reason I bought a cruel crow was to try to inject this treacherous creature with a bit of heart, [but] in the meantime, I’ve lost an eye, I suffer from idiocy … and wish for the death of the corrupt creature.”
Last November, Benayoun was disinvited from a performance at President Reuven Rivlin’s official residence because of a recent song he had written called “Ahmed Loves Israel,” which calls an Arab-Israeli student “ungrateful scum.”
In a Facebook post in February, the mainstream Israeli artist compared Israel’s liberal politicians to the “devil.”
This is a moment of great uncertainty. Here’s what you can do about it.
We hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, we’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s independent Jewish news this Passover. All donations are being matched by the Forward Board - up to $100,000.
This is a moment of great uncertainty for the news media, for the Jewish people, and for our sacred democracy. It is a time of confusion and declining trust in public institutions. An era in which we need humans to report facts, conduct investigations that hold power to account, tell stories that matter and share honest discourse on all that divides us.
With no paywall or subscriptions, the Forward is entirely supported by readers like you. Every dollar you give this Passover is invested in the future of the Forward — and telling the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
The Forward doesn’t rely on funding from institutions like governments or your local Jewish federation. There are thousands of readers like you who give us $18 or $36 or $100 each month or year.
Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
