Subscribe to Print Edition | Thu., April 03, 2008 Adar2 28, 5768 | | Israel Time: 22:02 (EST+7) web haaretz.com   Back to Homepage Rosner's Domain Diplomacy Defense Jewish World Opinion National Print Edition Advertising Books Arts & Leisure Business Real Estate Easy Start Travel Week's End Anglo File

Last update - 10:36 01/02/2008 'Hatikva' in Arabic? By Gadi BenMark Tags: national anthem, Israel  "Hatikva," Israel's national anthem, is about to have a bumper year with the country's upcoming 60th anniversary celebrations - and if Israel is lucky, with the 2008 Summer Olympics as well. For Jews anywhere, singing "Hatikva" fills our hearts with pride and emotion. However, the 100-year-old "Hatikva" is no longer just the spiritual anthem of the Jews. It is the national anthem of Israel - and Israel today includes over one million Arab citizens. "Hatikva," as is, has been a problem for Israel's Arab citizens. When the Israeli national soccer team competes overseas and "Hatikva" is played, Arab Israeli players who are representing Israel stand silent. Israeli television cameras zoom in on those silent lips, highlighting a problem that resurfaces daily with school choirs, ribbon-cutting ceremonies, sporting events and official visits. Can we possibly imagine an Arab citizen, however loyal and dedicated to Israel, singing with pride and joy the words "as long as deep in the heart a Jewish soul beats" and "our 2,000-year-old hope of being a free nation in our land?" Israel should not change "Hatikva." The words carry deep meaning, boast a rich history and stir emotion. What we can do is learn from the experience of Canada. Like Israel, Canada is also home to at least two significant groups, the English and the French, with two official languages and lots of historical baggage. Advertisement "O Canada," the Canadian national anthem, was originally written in French in the nineteenth century, as a French-Canadian song. The French lyrics start with "O Canada, land of our forefathers" and continue with "your hand that knows how to carry the sword, can also carry the cross." The cross here is evoked as a Catholic symbol of peace for French Canadians, whose forefathers settled New France in the seventeenth century. When "O Canada" became a popular anthem across Canada, the original text did not suit English-speaking Canadians. Not only were the lyrics in French, but these English-speaking Canadians were descendants of recent immigrants, many of whom were not Catholic or even Christian. So, how did Canada handle this challenge? First, there was a simple translation of the French lyrics into English, but that did not get very far, for obvious reasons. New anthems in English were written over the years. Finally, in 1980, 100 years after the anthem was first written in French, an English version gained popularity and was legislated as the official version in the National Anthem Act. Today's "O Canada" in English is not a translation of the French. It is an "all Canadian" song that any Canadian, regardless of ethnic origin or religious conviction, can proudly sing. It talks about "true patriot love in all thy sons command." There are no "forefathers" and no "cross" to be found. It seems to be working quite well. When Canadian hockey teams play in the United States, games always begin with "O Canada." The English-speaking Canadians sing in English, the French-speaking Canadians sing in French. Anybody can sing either of the two official versions or even mix them. Many Canadians today are not aware of the history of their national anthem, nor do they feel a need to look up the lyrics in the "other language." Twenty-eight years later, it has become a non-issue. By comparison, our "Hatikva" is currently written in only one of Israel's two official languages and features lyrics that suits only one part of Israel's citizenry, the Jews. As in Canada, it would be unrealistic to expect a single text in a single language to express the hopes of all citizens in an ethnically and religiously diverse country. Moreover, many would argue that the division between English and French speakers in Canada does not run quite as deep as the division between Jews and Arabs in Israel. "Hatikva" is ingrained and entrenched and it makes no sense to translate those words into Arabic. But just as all Canadians share the music of "O Canada," all Israelis can share the music of "Hatikva." The music is the bridge that unites. The original version, with Hebrew lyrics, remains unaltered. For the Arabic lyrics, Israel can commission a contest among Arabic speakers and poets. The mission would be to put together text to which any Israeli citizen who speaks Arabic can relate. This is a tall order. On one hand, "Hatikva's" music, in a minor key, lends itself to lyrics in Arabic, and these lyrics can express hope. It can be called "Al Amal," the hope, thus carrying the same meaning as "Hatikva," yet this hope needs to be "universal Israeli." If "Al Amal" is to throw all the Jews into the sea, it is unlikely to resonate well with Arabic-speaking Jews. It needs to be an anthem of hope, an anthem that any Israeli citizen can sing in Arabic, whether they are Jewish, Christian or Muslim, for as long as they can sing - and best of all if they just received an Olympic gold medal. The writer is a Canadian-Israeli lawyer who works in high-tech Bookmark to del.icio.us   Devil's weed New campaign equates smoking pot with terrorism. Bad company A BBC poll says Israel world's most hated country after Iran.   1.   If Arabs don`t won`t to sing Hatikva, they don`t have to,they 11:46  |  IL Supporter 01/02/08   2.   Gadi, what about replace Memorah by suicide belts for e emblem? 11:53  |  mary for jews 01/02/08   3.   Hatikva is by the Jews for the Jews in the Jewish State 12:17  |  Joseph . E 01/02/08   4.   Hatikva 12:18  |  Sliman 01/02/08   5.   No Canadian compromise - for a 60th birthday gift to ourselves 12:25  |  sh 01/02/08   6.   hatikva 12:30  |  daniel yefet 01/02/08   7.   The anthem sung by Arab MKs praising Hizbollah and Hamas 12:33  |  Shalom Freedman 01/02/08   8.   Not Only the want to Divide Jewish State , But Also Change Anthem 12:33  |  Joseph . E 01/02/08   9.   Their song should be "Hit the road, Jack" 12:43  |  JD 01/02/08   10.   OK to Arabic words, as long as they are the SAME AS THE HEBREW!! 12:58  |  Steven 01/02/08   11.   Words in Arabic must be the same as in Hebrew 13:08  |  Steven 01/02/08   12.   The King of Morocco always said in Morocco 13:19  |  Jews and Arabs are = 01/02/08   13.   And will doing this make Tibi & Bashara like us? 13:35  |  Feiglin Supporter 01/02/08   14.   Zionist Who Actually Agrees With Author (sorta) 13:36  |  dyinglikeflies 01/02/08   15.   Amazed 13:49  |  A mother 01/02/08   16.   Hatikvah 14:35  |  Hilda 01/02/08   17.   Hatikva must be abolshied 14:39  |  Philip 01/02/08   18.   Mary from Singapore 14:42  |  Philip 01/02/08   19.   Gadi is talking about Arabs who Cheered Hezbollah War Crimes 15:05  |  Joseph . E 01/02/08   20.   I suspect that Israel`s Arab citizens 15:05  |  Mark Lincoln 01/02/08   21.   Not so difficult to translate 15:33  |  Maryam 01/02/08   22.   La Marseillese in Arabic first!! 15:47  |  Alain 01/02/08   23.   Hatikva in Swahili would sound great 15:51  |  Yossi Saar 01/02/08   24.   Has Haaretz Have Some Sort of Magnet That Attracts All these Nutt 15:56  |  Yossi Saar 01/02/08   25.   They can sing the Jordanian national anthem 16:13  |  Herbert Kaine 01/02/08   26.   Sliman`s poem 16:14  |  nina 01/02/08   27.   In your dreams,it ain`t going to happen 16:18  |  Amused and Disgusted 01/02/08   28.   Hatikvah 16:22  |  MazalUK 01/02/08   29.   hatikva loyalty 16:26  |  mark 01/02/08   30.   Our Hero Yosef 16:37  |  sd fort 01/02/08   31.   Mary for Jews #2 I love your post 16:37  |  Kampong Boy 01/02/08   32.   i don`t sing hatikvah either way 16:48  |  joey 01/02/08   33.   Yes it is possible to integrate. 16:51  |  Yaakov Sullivan 01/02/08   34.   Arab Hatikva 16:54  |  Pedro Guevara-Mann 01/02/08   35.   right on 17:10  |  DK 01/02/08   36.   What about Allaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah UUUUUUUUUUUUU Akbar! in Hebrew 17:27  |  Genuine Tosefta 01/02/08   37.   A Serious Issue That Seems Beyond The Reach Of Most Israelis and 17:37  |  B`Galil 01/02/08   38.   Philip be happy...Israel never will behead you 18:01  |  The stupid ant 01/02/08   39.   At last some common sense 18:15  |  Danite 01/02/08   40.   To all of you who object an Arabic version of Israel`s National A 18:16  |  Yigal 01/02/08   41.   Steven 18:17  |  Danite 01/02/08   42.   Leave Hatikvah Alone! 18:37  |  Norman F Birnberg 01/02/08   43.   i dont see england having an arab version or US with mexican one? 18:41  |  SHIMON 01/02/08   44.   Israel Is A Jewish State! 18:45  |  Norman F Birnberg 01/02/08   45.   Arabs Have To Respect Israel As Jewish State Or Get Out 18:49  |  Norman F Birnberg 01/02/08   46.   Delusion 18:50  |  US Observer 01/02/08   47.   Israel As A Jewish Homeland 18:55  |  Norman F Birnberg 01/02/08   48.   Palestinian Kingdom`s anthem will do! Flows the Jordan 19:13  |  yev 01/02/08   49.   What the Shet`l did to our minds 19:49  |  Scharker Yid 01/02/08   50.   Used to be you couldn`t go to a Jewish function here... 19:50  |  Chanalau, Tova 01/02/08   51.   Haaretz, stop fooling yourselves into thinking... 19:59  |  Ussishkin 01/02/08   52.   as a canadian you are wrong even in canada it is not as sweet as 20:39  |  ralph 01/02/08   53.   as a canadian you are wrong even in canada it is not as sweet as 20:39  |  ralph 01/02/08   54.   Stupid proposal 20:59  |  Linichka 01/02/08   55.   HAARETZ 21:57  |  JOJO (USA) 01/02/08   56.   American Jews 23:08  |  Joel 01/02/08   57.   Joel in Portland: Stop Talking Nonsense 23:35  |  CHGODMK 01/02/08   58.   Nice idea, for an interim period 00:04  |  Tosefta 02/02/08   59.   Norman Birnberg 00:16  |  Joel 02/02/08   60.   Hamas " Bilady, Bilady" is recognized as a Palestinian anthem 00:30  |  Yaakov Sullivan 02/02/08   61.   Anthem in Arabic 00:52  |  Wiktor 02/02/08   62.   Biladi Biladi was the PLO anthem before it was the Hamas one 00:57  |  Mike 02/02/08   63.   Gadi BenMark is incredibly naive 01:03  |  Jerusalem jew 02/02/08   64.   Since California 01:10  |  Scharker Yid 02/02/08   65.   Flying the Maple Leaf - Danite 01:11  |  Mark Lincoln 02/02/08   66.   Is that Arabic for "Gimme, gimme"? 01:11  |  Curious 02/02/08   67.   Anthems and such 01:16  |  Mark Lincoln 02/02/08   68.   O.K., fine! so ... 01:17  |  steve dill 02/02/08   69.   Joel 01:21  |  Norman F Birnberg 02/02/08   70.   Why Osama had to import terrorists 01:24  |  Mark Lincoln 02/02/08   71.