Palestinian Anthem for Statehood

Graphic by Angelie Zaslavsky
A Palestinian living in France has written a song that has arguably become the anthem for the upcoming Palestinians bid for statehood in the United Nations later on this week, according to a Ma’an report.
The songwriter, Ahmed Dari, who worked for the United Nations’ Educational, Social and Cultural Organization until recently, composed “Mestani Dawla be Aylol” — “I Am Waiting for a State in September” — in a witty way, using a tortoise to symbolize the slow pace of the Palestinian quest for statehood, Ma’an said.
The song has over 20,000 hits on YouTube, and Dari says he wrote the song to give hope to Palestinians in the run-up to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas’s bid for UN recognition in New York this week, the report said.
Hello, fellow Forward reader! I’m Joel Brown, a Forward reader and supporter for more than 15 years, and currently the chair of the board of directors.
I’m an avid Forward reader because it ticks so many of my essential boxes: excellent journalism, Jewish focus and diverse viewpoints. In today’s political climate, what I most appreciate is the Forward’s independence — made possible by the generosity of its membership.
The Forward is committed to bringing you unbiased, nuanced Jewish news. From my position as board chair, I see an exciting future as we expand our position as the definitive independent voice of contemporary American Judaism.
— Joel Brown, Forward board chair
