Beloved around the Arab world for his voice and charisma, Palestinian singer Mohammed Assaf has released a song – "Ya Yumma" – praising the Palestinian resistance against the occupation. The Palestinian crooner sings about the bravery of the men and women standing in the way of Israeli violence, asking for more to join their ranks.
"Ya Yumma, these are your men
To my beloved country, Palestine, always on our minds.
Song performed by Mohammed Assaf
Music by Wael Al Yazji
Lyrics by Jamal Al Drimli"
Unlike in his other videos, Assaf appears tired, uncoiffed, unshaved, his keffyeh standing out in his otherwise plain outfit, signalling the seriousness of the song. The somber colors of the video, with the repeated cuts to the recording studio, give us the hint that this song was a hasty project, and perhaps done overnight, as violence continues to spread in Palestine, with many predicting that we are witnessing the birth of the third intifada.
Since the beginning of October, more than 40 Palestinians have been killed, while eight Israelis have died in attacks.
In the video, scenes of Assaf in the studio are mixed in with scenes of the ongoing violence in occupied Jerusalem and the West Bank - leaving little doubt to Assaf's support for a new intifada: "Salute the determined people who are resisting the occupiers, Fight back until you defeat the aggressor."
Assaf has shot to international fame since winning "Arab Idol" in 2013, and a biopic based on his extraordinary path to the singing competition was released to high praise last week in London.
