Israeli song ignites social media in Arab world
The flags of Israel and the United Arab Emirates, waving along a road in Netanya, Israel, on August 16, 2020. Jack Guez/AFP
Text by: Sami Boukhelifa Follow
3 mins
A song titled "Dubai, Dubai", broadcast on Israeli television, crossed the borders of the Jewish state to ignite social networks in the Arab world.
It was interpreted by an Israeli actress, very committed alongside the Palestinians.
Noam Shuster Eliassi loves to make the buzz.
She is known in particular for having proposed in marriage in 2019, the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
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From our correspondent in Jerusalem,
It is a satirical title, in which Noam Shuster Eliassi criticizes the normalization of
relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates.
On stage, the multi-talented Israeli artist - actress, singer - pretends to send a message of peace.
The tone is deceptively innocent;
the verb is acerbic.
"
If only all the Arabs were like those in Dubai (...) Rich with millions, they forgot the Palestinian cause, and a people who suffered from the Nakba,
" says the song.
They forgot that we imposed a blockade on Gaza.
All this to normalize their relations with Israel.
»
"
In Israel, we chose to be nice to the Arabs of the Gulf
"
The song is performed in Arabic with some Hebrew.
Noam Shuster Eliassi
speaks excellent Arabic. She describes herself as a Mezrahi Jew, or Eastern Jew. She also highlights her Iranian Jewish roots and defends the Palestinians: “
In Israel, we have chosen to be nice to the Arabs of the Gulf, who are nevertheless 4000
km from here. We chose to forge economic ties with them. But at the same time, we prefer to ignore the Palestinian question. And every left-wing Jew who wants to talk about equality, about ending the occupation, is branded a self-hating, anti-Israeli Jew. It is completely false. So to have managed to shed light on all these subjects through a simple sketch is a dream come true.
»
The song “Dubai, Dubai” was performed by Israeli comedian and activist Noam Shuster-Eliassi (@ShusterNoam) https://t.co/StPbVg7883
— Arab News (@arabnews) January 19, 2022
On the social networks of the Arab world, many hail this artistic prowess.
“
Sarcasm, a formidable weapon
,” wrote some netizens opposed to the normalization of relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates.
Noam Shuster Eliassi says she is delighted to learn that even Emiratis share her point of view.
"
I have a lot of friends in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and the Gulf, who told me that my video was widely shared on WhatsApp,
" she says.
I think we should not underestimate the youth in the Gulf countries.
I am a critical voice in Israel, and there are also in the Gulf.
Maybe they don't have the freedom to express themselves freely in public.
But in the private sphere, they can be very critical.
»
Many detractors
However, this song was not unanimous.
As often on the internet, it triggered a wave of hatred, and a torrent of insults.
Some took it literally and did not understand the message of this Israeli artist.
They thought she was making fun of the suffering of the Palestinians.
Noam Shuster Eliassi, says he understands their point of view: “
I know that in the Arab world, some can be very skeptical.
They say to themselves: how can a Jewess express herself in this way?
Maybe it's all orchestrated, maybe you're a Mossad agent?
And so, I tell them: I'm happy to embody the difference.
I'm happy to be a Jewess who speaks Arabic and doesn't put her skills to work for the Israeli army.
But who uses it rather to be creative, and to show that an alternative is possible here in the region
?
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