Palestinian singer Jowan Safadi last week released a new song calling out Mizrahi Jews – Jews hailing from Arab nations – for not supporting fellow Arab Palestinians.
These Mizrahi Jews have come from countries such as Iraq and Morocco to live in the state of Israel. They often align themselves with Israeli policies that oppress and deny rights to Palestinians.
Safadi's song points out the hypocrisy in their actions, with the lyrics, "Listen to me, dude. You need to know where you came from. And where you're going to. And what you're gonna find. Standing in the street chanting: 'Death to Arabs' and such sh*t. You're an Arab man!"
The lyrics go on to add, "Hey you imported Arab! Take it from a local Arab: You were dragged here… to take my place."
Sung completely in Hebrew compared to Safadi's usual use of Arabic, the song is intended to target and challenge Mizrahi Jews trying to distance themselves from their Arab heritage. It also serves as a direct message to other Israelis who support racism and government policies against Palestinians.
Safadi hails from Nazareth and is now based in Haifa. According to his Facebook profile, his music is, "dedicated to bringing fresh sound and lyrics to the alternative arabic cultural scene, with a wide range of challenging songs from political and social to emotional and philosophical themes."
No stranger to controversial lyrics, Safadi has previously challenged Israelis, other Arab regimes and even Palestinians and their leaders.