Idan Raichel Expresses Anger Over October 7 Hostages and Abandonment
Translated & summarized from Kan News by baba
Israeli musician Idan Raichel expressed deep anger and sorrow over the October 7th kidnapping and abandonment of Israelis. Speaking on a radio program, he described the ongoing pain and the need for continued effort, stating the war is not over. Raichel shared personal reflections on grief, the Zionist vision, and the inspiration behind his new song about a bereaved father.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Musician Idan Raichel expressed immense anger over the October 7th kidnapping and abandonment of Israelis.
- Raichel stated that the joy surrounding hostage returns is deceptive, masking disaster and anger over abandonment.
- He emphasized that the war is far from over and that Israelis are abandoned in their own land.
- Raichel shared personal experiences from funerals and his work with bereaved families.
- His new song, "Kol HaOlam Sheli Ata," was inspired by a father grieving his son lost on October 7th.
- Raichel affirmed his commitment to Israel, despite his children living abroad.
Musician Idan Raichel spoke about the profound pain and anger he has felt since the October 7th massacre, during an interview on the "Ba'Haitz HaYom" radio program. He discussed his work with bereaved families and those of hostages, and the stories behind his creative output during the war.
"Beyond the great joy, my sorrow and anger are immense that they were kidnapped and abandoned in an unprecedented disgrace on October 7th," Raichel stated, referring to the return of hostages. He described the sounds of joy as deceptive, masking an unmitigated disaster and great anger over the abandonment of the people in their own land. Raichel emphasized that the war is far from over.
Currently in the United States, Raichel participated in a memorial ceremony at the Israeli Mission to the UN. Addressing the idea of leaving Israel, he said, "I don't know if we really have the option to get up and leave, it's not in the realm of possibilities. My children live with their mother overseas, and that saddens me greatly, but here is home and here is the heart." He added that "there is much to contribute, certainly the fighters on the front lines and also the civilians in the home front."
Reflecting on Israeli society, Raichel used the analogy of a plane in a nosedive, stating, "When a plane dives 20,000 feet before crashing, all 180 passengers are one tribe of brothers and sisters." He shared poignant moments from numerous funerals, including twin brothers mourning each other, and the story of an elderly woman who immigrated from Paris to fulfill her Zionist dream, apologizing for her broken Hebrew at her grandson's funeral.
Raichel also discussed his new song, "Kol HaOlam Sheli Ata" (You Are My Whole World), performed by Renana Huvav. The song was inspired by a grieving father from Tiberias who, after losing his son, pretends to go to work each morning but spends his days at the cemetery, unable to move past his grief. Raichel explained that the song distills this immense pain and longing into a single sentence.