A public storm has erupted over the lyrics of a song by a popular Israeli singer that convey powerful disillusionment with the peace process.
Two attorneys have petitioned the High Court Of Justice, contending that the state-run media should be banned from playing the song by Aviv Geffen.
Loosely translated as “Nowhere,” the song on his recently released album is very critical of the current peace policy and the Israeli leader at its helm.
Among the controversial lyrics are the lines:
“The dove has already choked on the olive in her throat/who is it that walks there drunk — it’s the prime minister/the mother is waiting for him to come home and he doesn’t/your son is dead, we just haven’t found a name for the war.”
The petitioners said the lyrics are offensive to a large segment of the public and that a state-run agency should not be allowed to play them.
Geffen responded to the criticism, saying that the song is not about specifics,
“The words of my songs are fables,” he said.
The head of the Writers Association, Natan Yonatan, told Israeli Television that whatever the message of the song is, protecting freedom of expression is critical.
Aviv Geffen’s brooding lyrics on teen-age angst have captured headlines in the past. Last year, a controversy developed over claims that some of his songs led some teen-agers to commit suicide.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
