In a video published to the X account of the Foreign Ministry on Wednesday, a Christian men's choir, named ACA for Him, from Malawi in East Africa, sings the song "Home" in Hebrew, while calling for the release of the hostages in Gaza.
The video of the men's choir was filmed by Solomon Chilemba, edited by Ehud Manor, composed by Yair Klinger, and the audio was by Kingsley Tembenu. The video opens up with text reading, “On October 7 2023, Hamas conducted a terror attack on Israel and killed innocent people. They abducted over 200 people including women, children, and elderly. ACA - 4 - HIM is calling the world to bring hostages back home. Israel and Jews have the right to exist and defend themselves like any other country.”
גורמים רבים ומגוונים מרחבי העולם נרתמים למאבק להשבת החטופים מעזה בדרכים שונות ומגוונות.הסרטון הזה של מקהלת גברים ממלאווי שבמזרח אפריקה, שרים את השיר "הביתה" בעברית, תוך קריאה נרגשת לשחרור החטופים, ריגש אותנו במיוחד.#BringThemHomeNow צפו pic.twitter.com/xyfCU6d9qV
— משרד החוץ (@IsraelHebrew) February 7, 2024
Throughout the video, the singers held posters reading, “We stand with Israel, bring them home,” “They need medication, they need to be with their families,” and “Men, women, babies, and elderly are still held hostage by Hamas, bring them home now!”
The song "Home"
The choir initially sings the song in Hebrew. The song translates to: “Another hour has passed, another hour of madness, the weeds have grown in the path and garden, the winds sighed, open the shutter, banging the old wall as if calling Home! Home! It's time to return home! From hills and foreign fields, the day is fading and there's no light. Home! Home! Before the light is dimmed, cold nights, bitter nights closing in. Until dawn, I pray for you. Bound in the grip of fear, I hear steps. Home! Home! Because it hasn’t been given as we promised long ago! As we promised long ago! As we promised long ago!”
At the end of the song, a member of the choir sings the last line in English: “We need them back home!”
In its X post, the Foreign Ministry wrote, “Many and diverse parties from around the world are joining the fight to return the abductees from Gaza in different and diverse ways.” The Foreign Ministry said this video, in particular, moved them.
Malawi was the first country in Africa to open an embassy in Jerusalem.