A Tunisian and an Israeli collaborated, the death threats shortly followed

Listeners were quick to respond: many called out his move as in opposition to the Palestinian cause and people.

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
Ziv Yehezkel, 29 January 2019. (photo credit: Wikimedia Commons)
Ziv Yehezkel, 29 January 2019.
(photo credit: Wikimedia Commons)
Noamane Chaari, famed Tunisian singer, is facing death threats for collaborating with Ziv Yehezkel, a religious Israeli singer, on a song about coexistence and peace, numerous media sources reported this week.
Since the song, "Peace Between Neighbors," was released on December 10, Chaari has reportedly received death threats on social media and lost his job as a state broadcaster.
Listeners were quick to respond: many called out his move as in opposition to the Palestinian cause and people.
The song has garnered more than 138,000 views. Yehezkel's niche in the music industry is classic Arabic songs.
The song opens with a North African melody, and progresses into each of the singers professing their love for their respective homelands.
Together, they declare, "Our goal is one, to build bridges for peace," for coexistence.
"Do not bring war, together we will wake, together we will blossom," they sing, as montages of various sights in both Israel and Tunisia flash across the screen.
Yehezkel has performed with various Andalusian and Arabic orchestras throughout the country.
The partnership was brought about by the Arab Council for Regional Integration, a "pan-Arab" organization dedicated to promoting peace and dialogue between actors and individuals in the Middle East, North Africa, and Gulf.
"Personally, I don't believe there is such a thing as 'normalization'. Relations between people are normal," Chaari told top Tunisian radio broadcaster Hadi a-Za'im, an Indonesian daily reported.
Senator Ted Cruz expressed his own disappointment with the treatment Chaari has been receiving, calling it "deeply troubling."
"American lawmakers are united in supporting coexistence across the region b/n Jews & Arabs," he tweeted.

This rings reminiscent of Israel's recent normalization deals and peace agreements with various Arab countries, including Morocco, not too far from Tunisia.
When he visited Israel on December 13, US National Security Advisor Robert O’Brien all but guaranteed more normalization deals, hopefully declaring, "“others will follow because the way of peace is far better than the way offered by terrorists." A Saudi-Israel normalization deal is rumored to be next.
My dream is your dream, my friend," croons Yehezkel.


Related Tags
Tunisia
normalization