Israeli artists use Netanyahu's COVID-19 speeches as song lyrics

Even the song's title, translated as "Distancing is Love," is a reference to a speech given by Netanyahu on March 17th, when the world was only just starting to realize the scope of the Coronavirus.

By TOBIAS SIEGAL

MAY 26, 2020 18:50

Lior Ashkenazi (photo credit: Wikimedia Commons) — Lior Ashkenazi

(photo credit: Wikimedia Commons)

Lior Ashkenazi and Daniel Solomon, two prominent Israeli artists, have released a song comprised entirely of segments from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's speeches given during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Even the song's title, translated as "Distancing is Love," is a reference to a speech given by Netanyahu on March 17, when the world was only just starting to realize the scope of the coronavirus threat, according to Walla.

"This is a dangerous pandemic, not child's play. Today I can say that expressing love is distancing yourself," said Netanyahu, who probably did not expect his words to be put over a melody.

Ashkenazi refered to the new song as a "coronavirus graduation party," while Solomon noted that "these speeches by Netanyahu are an extraordinary moment in our history," according to Walla. Solomon added that the speeches contain "lyrical, almost poetic sentences, which are not usually included in speeches by the Prime Minister, so turning them into a song was not hard."

Ashkenazi emphasized that "this is not about imitating Netanyahu," but just using his words.

"If you listen to Netanyahu's speeches, they sound different from the way I perform them. We reconstructed them," Ashkenazi told Walla.

While not attempting to mimic Netanyahu, Ashkenazi and Solomon don't hide the fact the song contains restrained criticism. When Ashkenazi sings the words, "I see and hear your distress, I'll help you" he does so with a cynical undertone.

"We didn't want to be harsh," Ashkenazi told Walla. "During the first days of the pandemic, the steps taken by Netanyahu were good ones, the quarantine proved itself," he added. "Coming out of it is when things started to fall apart."

"Exactly, the problem is with the exit strategy, which is very unclear. In the cultural world we don't know when we'll be able to get back to work. Especially when people don't know when concerts are coming back," Solomon told Walla.

Many frustrated voices by prominent figures in Israeli culture have been raised in the past couple of weeks, criticizing the exit strategy presented by the government, and claiming that the strategy doesn't consider outdoor events and festivals, thus ignoring many independent Israeli artists without providing them with a suitable solution.

"Everyone has returned to their lives, but we haven't. Many of us are sitting at home without knowing when it will end," Ashkenazi told Walla.

Ashkenazi and Solomon met when working together at the Beit Lessin theater and expressed a great desire to join forces and work together again, which was difficult to do even before COVID-19 hit.

"I enjoy the combination of music, theater, acting and words, especially with Lior's great performance. It was hard to find time and bring Lior over. During the quarantine, when he was unemployed, it was made possible," Solomon told Walla.