Israeli Singers Accused of Copying Palestinian Artist’s Music Video Frame by Frame

Israeli singers Gal Juma and Assulin face accusations of copying their new music video "Zehara" almost frame by frame from a 2024 video by Palestinian singer Eliana. The allegations surfaced in a post by the international culture magazine Plastik on Instagram, which highlighted the striking similarities in framing, styling, choreography, and locations between the two videos. The post described the issue as somewhere between "inspiration" and "copying," noting that the Israeli artists were initially unnamed and referred to only as "unknown Israeli singers." The post included side-by-side screenshots of the two videos and reactions from social media users expressing shock at the near-identical scenes.

This is not the first time Israeli artists have been accused of appropriating creative ideas from international artists. In the past year, names like Oudiya, who copied album covers from SZA and Bad Bunny, leading to Spotify removing one of her songs due to copyright complaints, and Efrat Gosh, who resembled Jennifer Lopez’s Harper’s Bazaar cover, have been involved in similar controversies. Other Israeli artists such as Margi, Roy Kafri, Tal Tirangel, Omer Adam, and Eden Golan have also faced similar accusations.

In a recent interview with ynet about the release of "Zehara," Gal Juma explained her decision to blend Arabic and Hebrew in the song’s lyrics, acknowledging mixed reactions due to the political tensions following October 7. She emphasized that her intention was to promote a message by placing both languages at the forefront, despite the sensitive context. The video for "Zehara" was directed and filmed by Bruce Malan, known for working with other Israeli artists like Tamir Bar, Tsukush, and Ron Cohen. As of the article’s publication, neither Gal Juma nor Assulin had responded to the allegations.