TEL AVIV – On Friday, Morocco
World News reported that a new song by Israeli rappers Ness and Stilla has shot
to the top of the charts in Israel and has stirred intense domestic and
international controversy.
اضافة اعلان
Titled “Harbu Darbu,” the song
calls for violence against public figures who have expressed pro-Palestinian
views, most notably Bella Hadid and Dua Lipa. The lyrics also name leaders of
the Palestinian militant group Hamas, stating, “Every dog will get what’s
coming to them.”
The track has racked up over 18
million views on YouTube since its November release, reflecting its popularity
among young Israelis. However, it has also faced backlash from some of those
named in the lyrics as well as critics within Israel.
The rappers have defended the song
as boosting troop morale and representing their right to criticize those they
view as disseminating “fake news” against Israel. But others argue it crosses a
red line by targeting specific individuals with threats.
The divisive hit has highlighted
generational divides within Israel on issues ranging from mandatory military
service to acceptable forms of wartime dissent. While music celebrating the
Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) has a long tradition, “Harbu Darbu” has set off
a fierce debate on what constitutes responsible creative expression.
Militaristic lyrics celebrate the IOF
The bulk of the song’s lyrics
center around celebrating units of the IOF and calling for military action
against Hamas and other enemies of Israel.
The chorus of “Harbu Darbu,” which
roughly translates to “fire and brimstone” in Arabic, includes the chant “one,
two, shoot,” as the singers name brigades like Givati, Golani, and Kfir. Other
verses issue an aggressive call to arms from northern to southern Israel,
inciting the IOF’s brutal military campaign in Gaza.
The controversial song features
singer Ness applauding the IOF’s airstrikes on Gaza, singing, “You can feel the
tremors all the way to Tel Aviv.” The bombastic lyrics and drill-style beat
have made the song a hit with many IOF troops.
Videos have circulated online of
soldiers dancing and singing along with “Harbu Darbu” as it blares from tanks
and armored vehicles. The artists even dedicated the song to the IOF when
performing it live.
A lightning rod for controversy
However, the most controversial
lyrics come at the end when Ness and Stilla name celebrities they deem
anti-Israel.
“Every dog will get what’s coming
to them,” they chant before listing supermodel Bella Hadid, singer Dua Lipa,
and former adult film star Mia Khalifa.
The three women have used their
platforms to call for peace and a Palestinian state, which the artists see as
disseminating dangerous lies.
Critics, in turn, have denounced
what they describe as an unimaginably dangerous and unhinged song. In
particular, they have taken issue with the song’s gratuitous treatment of
critics of Israel, especially its violent lyrics’ apparent call for the murder
of Hadid, Lipa, and Khalifa.
Khalifa mocked the song on
Twitter, while Lipa condemned “misrepresentations” of her views.
The violent lyrics have drawn
worldwide condemnation, even though the song's defenders argue that Ness and
Stilla are not promoting actual violence.
Almost immediately upon release,
“Harbu Darbu” became both wildly popular and steeped in controversy. Its
unchecked aggression and targeting of specific women touched nerves on multiple
issues of nationalism, youth culture, free speech, and gender dynamics.
Israel has a long history of
popular songs supporting the IOF. But few have sparked such a divisive response
as this. “Harbu Darbu” looks likely to remain a lightning rod within Israel’s
cultural wars, even as its popularity eventually fades.
Read more Region and World
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