Israeli Singers Gal Juma and Asulin Face Backlash Over Video Similar to Palestinian Artist's Clip

Israeli singers Gal Juma and Asulin released a music video for their joint song "Zehara" about two weeks ago, directed by Bruce Malan. The video quickly attracted international attention, but not for positive reasons. An Instagram account of Plastik magazine highlighted striking similarities between their clip and "Ganeni," a 2024 video by Palestinian singer Eliana. This sparked thousands of hostile comments accusing the Israeli singers of copying, with some remarks referencing political tensions, such as "a stolen clip filmed on stolen land."

In an interview with mako, Juma and Asulin denied any prior knowledge of Eliana or her video, stating they filmed their clip without awareness of the Palestinian artist or her work. They only became aware of the controversy after Israeli media coverage. Both described the volume of messages, including threats, as overwhelming. Asulin noted that the issue spread to her European contacts, who tagged her in posts without seeking her side of the story.

The singers chose not to respond directly to the online criticism, fearing it would fuel further racist and hostile comments. They emphasized their pride in the song and its success, calling it a "crazy hit." The apparent similarity between the videos likely stems from someone else on the production team, as the singers themselves were unaware of it. They firmly stated they do not regret the clip.

Prior to the video's release, "Zehara" also caused controversy in July when Juma and Asulin filmed promotional clips with women from Jaffa. Some participants claimed they were unaware the footage would be published online and requested its removal.

The incident highlights the sensitive cultural and political context surrounding artistic works in the region and the rapid spread of social media backlash.