On October 22, a Palestinian named Abd Al-Rahman Al-Shaloudi slammed his car into a crowded train station in Jerusalem and murdered a three-month-old Israeli baby. On Thursday, November 6, Palestinian and Hamas operative Ibrahim Al-Akari rammed a van into a group of pedestrians in Jerusalem, killing a police officer. On Monday morning, an operative of Palestinian Islamic Jihad rushed from his car to stab and kill an Israeli woman in the West Bank.
Yet, despite Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's call for calm in Israel's capital city, two Palestinian singers fanned the rising flames of conflict Friday by releasing a song that encourages terrorism against Israeli citizens.
The song, translated by Palestinian Media Watch and entitled "Run over [the settler]," makes explicit references to 'martyrs' and 'heroes' who carried out the deadly attacks against Israelis.
"The whole Arab nation is telling you: Al-Akari, bless your [soul]," they sing. "Abd Al Rahman Al Shaloudi ran over a Jewish settler. He did it for his country with his limited means."
The refrain of the song--composed in the popular 'Raï' style of Arabic music that appeals to young audiences--implores the listener to "run over the settler," and promotes using cars for terror attacks as the best means of resistance against Israel.
"Run [them] over, destroy, annihilate, blow them up; Don’t let the Zionist live long," they sing. "O Al-Aqsa, we’re your defenders. O son of Jerusalem, cry ‘Allah is great!'"
The video of the song, posted on the Facebook page of Quds News Network, features images of Al-Shaloudi, Al-Akari and other Palestinians who have carried out recent attacks against Israelis. The video also promotes a new campaign, "Da'es" (literally "tread" or "run over") which is a play on the Arabic acronym "Da'esh" used for the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.
The propaganda song leaves little room for interpretation as to what its composers and singers are urging Palestinians to do:
"Refuel your car and run over the settlers, until my country's land returns, for your sake, O Palestine!"