Will a Jew Sing This Anthem? - by Sheri Oz

...sometime in the late 1980s to mid-1990s, the PLO adopted Fida’i as the “Palestinian” anthem. I am sure that you, like me, naturally assume that this new anthem speaks of love for the land, love for Jerusalem, the Palestinian soul’s longing for peace and equality.

Sheri Oz..
Israel Diaries..
First Published 22 May '16..

The Arabs who now call themselves Palestinians have a national anthem. Actually, their current anthem is supposedly their second. The lyrics of the first were written in 1934 by Ibrahim Tuqan and expressed opposition to the British presence in the Ottoman Empire. Named “Mawtini”, meaning “Homeland”, it talks about gaining independence from the British and overcoming the humiliation of occupation (by the British) and fear of takeover by the Jews.

While some claim that this was a “Palestinian” anthem, it was, in fact, popular throughout the Arab world and there is nothing to suggest that it was specifically “Palestinian” except for the “Palestinian” who wrote the lyrics (an Egyptian wrote the tune). In 2004, it was adopted by Iraq as their national anthem.

You can hear the uplifting music of Mawtini, here:



Then Came Fida’i

There is confusion about the exact date, but sometime in the late 1980s to mid-1990s, the PLO adopted Fida’i as the “Palestinian” anthem. I am sure that you, like me, naturally assume that this new anthem speaks of love for the land, love for Jerusalem, the Palestinian soul’s longing for peace and equality.

Yeh! Right!

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The Palestinian Anthem

Daled Amos
19 October '10

Eli Hertz passes along the following anecdote:

"In 1926, Lord Plumer was appointed as the second High Commissioner of Palestine. The Arabs within the Mandate were infuriated when Plumer stood up for the Zionists' national anthem Hatikva during ceremonies held in his honor when Plumer first visited Tel Aviv. When a delegation of Palestinian Arabs protested Plumer's 'Zionist bias,' the High Commissioner asked the Arabs if he remained seated when their national anthem was played, 'wouldn't you regard my behavior as most unmannerly?' Met by silence, Plumer asked: 'By the way, have you got a national anthem?' When the delegation replied with chagrin that they did not, he snapped back, "I think you had better get one as soon as possible." [1]

[1] Christopher Sykes, "Cross Roads to Israel - Palestine from Balfour to Bevin" London, Collins, 1965, pp. 92-93

70 years later, in 1996, they finally did come up with an anthem:

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