I Have No Other Land

The Oscars, Again: As Abq Jew is sure you have heard - No Other Land, which chronicles Israel’s demolitions in the Judaean Palestinian West Bank village of Masafer Yatta, won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.

More importantly - Israeli superstar Gal Gadot, resplendent in a slinky red gown, appeared with her husband, Jaron Varsano, on the red carpet. And she also presented an award for Best Visual Effects with her Snow White co-star, Rachel Zegler, who has often posted support for Palestine.

And this year was way better than last year! The Jerusalem Post recalls:

There were many pins this year, but most, like the glittery one that Best Actor winner Adrien Brody wore, were likely apolitical fashion statements....

Last year, many red pins given out for Artists4Ceasefire were seen on the red carpet. The Brigade, a group created by pro-Israel film industry professionals after October 7, released a statement last month condemning the Artist4Ceasefire pins, which are red and depict a stylized hand, saying, 

“That pin is no symbol of peace. 
It is the emblem of Jewish bloodshed,” 

since it was inspired by a photo of the bloody hands of a member of a mob that lynched two soldiers in the West Bank in 2000. 

Everyone everyone remembers that photo.
Abq Jew will not show it here.

But back to the Academy Awards and No Other Land. 

Just three months ago (see December 2024's Korin Allal, Musician, Dies at 69) Abq Jew showcased Korin Allal's most famous song - “Ein Li Eretz Acheret” (“I Have No Other Land”). With lyrics by famed Israeli songwriter Ehud Manor.

Written in 1982 in the midst of the First Lebanon War, its haunting melody and defiant lyrics are particularly relevant today. 

Its primary message is reminiscent of the famous quotation by Golda Meir: 

“We Jews have a secret weapon in our struggle with the Arabs; we have no place to go.” 

But it goes on to pledge, “I will not stay silent because my country changed her face/I will not give up reminding her/And sing in her ears until she will open her eyes.

 Click here for video

This song reminds us of why we fight when forced into battle time and time again by neighboring countries who seek only to destroy our Jewish State.

אין לי ארץ אחרת

Ein li eretz acheret
I have no other country

גם אם אדמתי בוערת

gam im admati bo'eret
even if my land is burning.

רק מילה בעברית חודרת

Rak milah b'ivrit choderet
Just a word in Hebrew penetrates

אל עורקיי, אל נשמתי

el orakai, el nishmati
to my veins, to my soul.

בגוף כואב, בלב רעב

B'guf ko'ev, b'lev ra'ev
With a weak body, with a hungry heart.

כאן הוא ביתי

kan hu beiti
Here is my home.

*
לא אשתוק

Lo eshtok
I will not stay silent

כי ארצי שינתה את פניה

ki artzi shinta et paneha
because my country changed her face.

לא אוותר לה

Lo evater la
I will not give up on her

אזכיר לה

Azkir la
I will remind her.

ואשיר כאן באוזניה

V'ashir kan b'ozneha
And I will sing right into her ears

עד שתפקח את עיניה

Ad sheh-tiftach et eineha
until she will open her eyes.

Why is Abq Jew angry?

Because the No Other Land film stole our song - its Jewish title, its Jewish meaning, and the Jewish history it portrays. And no one said anything.

Future of Jewish has published a more complete picture of what happened at Masafer Yatta. With facts and context.

The award for Best (Antisemitic) Documentary goes to...

Of the many reviews of the newly Oscar-winning documentary “No Other Land,” none of them even hint at the facts. The film is pure propaganda meant to incite people to hate Israel.

In June of 1982, Israel Prize laureate and much-loved songwriter Ehud Manor was sitting with his wife Ofra in the living room, watching the news on television. The news item was about the First Lebanon War between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization attacking Israel from Lebanon.

Ofra recalled this event vividly: “We saw footage of Israeli soldiers entering Beirut. Ehud broke down. I’m telling you, he was weeping. He said: ‘I cannot take it’ — and then he began jotting down words on a piece of paper.”

Those words went on to become the song, “Ein Li Eretz Acheret” (Hebrew for “I Have No Other Country”) — voted time and again as Israel’s favorite song, and its title morphed into a popular catchphrase throughout Israel.

Two days ago, the 97th Academy Awards (The Oscars) gave its Best Documentary award to a film that plagiarized “Ein Li Eretz Acheret” and conspicuously spun it to demonize Israel.

Israel Bachar, Israel’s Consul General in Los Angeles, tweeted in response to the Oscars ceremony:

“If Hollywood wants to watch a Palestinian documentary,
I recommend that they watch the hundreds of hours
in which the Palestinians have documented themselves
murdering entire families, kidnapping the elderly and infants,
and committing every crime against humanity imaginable.”

In much, much happier and well-deserved news - Gal Gadot recently received the ADL's International Leadership Award. The ADL's website tells us:

Actress and Producer Gal Gadot was honored with the ADL International Leadership Award for her commitment to combating antisemitism. 

In her acceptance speech, the global icon added that 

“This is a time when many of us in the Jewish community have had to find our voice and confront the hatred against us, even if it’s extremely uncomfortable.

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