Israeli Singer Shlomi Shabat Embraces Optimism Amid National Trauma and Upcoming Elections
Nearly three years after the October 7 attacks and ahead of upcoming elections, Israeli singer and songwriter Shlomi Shabat shared his efforts to hold onto optimism. In a Wednesday interview on Kan News Radio Network B, Shabat explained that his new song "Different Days" was born from a deep need to change the national mood. He described the song in one word: optimism. Written by Kobi Mitlefonkt and Liron Ben Shimon with music by Or Ben Omri and Ben Shimon, the song represents a rare focus on hope, contrasting with Shabat's usual themes of love and conflict. "Ninety percent of my songs are about love, eight percent about quarrels, and two percent about optimism," he said, emphasizing his desire to uplift the spirit.
Shabat, a prominent figure in Israeli music, did not hide the ongoing difficulty he feels since the war began. "I feel we are coming out of the dark place we were in. There is hope for something good, that we will return to what we were," he said. Yet he acknowledged the trauma remains vivid: "I don't remember a time like this in the country's history, especially that date which still gives me chills: October 7. Life is not what it used to be."
Addressing the deepening social divisions in Israel, Shabat admitted his struggle to understand and accept the current societal rift. However, he suggested a silver lining: "Maybe there is something good in this, that it came out into the open, and now we have no choice but to heal and fix it. If we do, it will be true love between us."
Describing his new song as a "prayer," Shabat views his music as a spiritual tool. "Most of my songs are prayers and requests in hindsight. This one warms the heart, even mine. When I hear it, I forget it's me singing and think, 'Wow, such optimism.'"
Shabat will perform next Wednesday, August 12, at the "Hutzot HaYotzer" festival at Sultan's Pool in Jerusalem, a tradition he has maintained for nearly 30 years. This year, he will share the stage with Rita and host Sapir Saban. "This festival is my garden," he smiled. "This country is important to us. The people of Israel live."
