A song by an Israeli rap duo calling for the deaths of celebrities Dua Lipa, Bella Hadid and Mia Khalifa, who have expressed public support for a ceasefire in Gaza, is topping the charts in Israel three months after its release.
Artists Ness and Stilla said the song is a “war anthem” in support of military action in the Gaza Strip following the Oct. 7 Hamas attack, the Independent reports. The controversial drill song has racked up over 18 million views on Youtube since it was released in November last year.
According to the New York Post, the Hebrew track is titled “Harbu Darbu” and features the rappers firing off a kill list of those they hold accountable for the Hamas terrorist attack.
“Every dog will get what’s coming to them,” the duo raps in reference to Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah; Mohammed Deif, the head of Hamas’ Al-Qassam brigades; and Ismail Haniyeh, the chairman of Hamas’ political wing; and the three aforementioned celebrities who have openly taken a pro-Palestine and anti-war stance.
Lipa, a British Albanian singer, and Hadid, who is of Palestinian descent, have both signed an open letter from the Artists4Ceasefire collective to President Joe Biden calling for a permanent ceasefire, along with thousands of others artists.
Khalifa, a Lebanese American media personality, sparked outrage when she called Hamas “freedom fighters” on social media following the Oct. 7 attack and has since lost a couple business deals, according to Newseek.
The song also praises the Israeli air force for its airstrikes on Gaza, which have now killed over 28,000 Palestinians according to the Gaza Health Ministry, Reuters reports, and has been embraced by Israeli soldiers.
The Israeli music promoter Hillel Wachs told the Jerusalem Post that “Harbu Darbu” could be the song identified with the war. “War songs give a feeling of togetherness and solidarity,” Wachs said. “They are a kind of collective therapy, a rallying point of what we feel.”
However, the song also faced backlash locally and globally. According to Arab News, Liam Yossef, a vinyl collector in Tel Avivm said, “I absolutely hate that song. I was hoping it would fall flat. But I kind of knew it would be a hit. It’s embarrassing. I lost friends on Oct. 7, but it’s still an awful song.”
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