Online controversy: Viral satirical video of Israeli comedian mocking UAE normalization divides viewers
LONDON: A satirical Arabic-language Israeli song criticizing normalization between Israel and the United Arab Emirates has gone viral in the Middle East this week, causing a stir online.
The song “Dubai, Dubai” was performed by Israeli comedian and activist Noam Shuster-Eliassi and appeared as part of a comedy skit on Arabic-language station Makan 33’s “Shu-Esmo” show.
Shuster-Eliassi, who speaks fluent Arabic and is a strong advocate for Palestinian rights, criticized the peace agreement between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, pointing out the hypocrisy of Israel’s stance on Arab countries.
The parody song begins with the comedian introducing herself as “Haifa Wannabe”, a reference to famous Arab singer Haifa Wehbe.
Shuster-Eliassi goes on to say that she “will sing an original song that I wrote in Arabic to celebrate the peace treaty with Dubai, but in general – it’s very important for me to send a message of love and peace, especially if it is 4,000 kilometers away.
The lyrics of the song include: “At the end of the tunnel there is light, and if only all Arabs, like those in Dubai who have money, would love the people of Israel and not throw us not at sea.
“There is nothing like the Arabs who have millions and who have forgotten their people who have suffered a Naqba, who have forgotten Palestine. In Dubai, they have forgotten the siege of Gaza, like this would be nice if only all Arabs came from Dubai.
The song went viral in Arabic media, causing a storm of supporters, especially on social media sites.
One user, Ahmad Ghanim, tweeted: “The song is a mix of Hebrew and Arabic, and is about cooperation between the UAE and Israel against the Palestinians. He also talks about how the Arabs forgot about Palestine and the suffering of its people. We sincerely appreciate what (the singer) is doing.
Another said: “This is the best thing I’ve seen on Twitter in a while.”
Meanwhile, Shuster-Eliassi tweeted, “Have you ever recovered from covid for the second time causing a diplomatic incident with a viral video mocking a ‘peace’ deal between 2 governments that didn’t never been in conflict, trade arms anyway and ignore Palestinian human rights? ? Don’t try this at home.”
