Israeli President Reuven Rivlin with a group of young Israelis singing a song of coexistence. Photo: YouTube screenshot.

A YouTube clip of Israeli President Reuven Rivlin hosting an ensemble of Israeli artists, including rapper E-Z, beatbox artist Sagi Braitner, pop star Eliad and Israeli-Arab star Nasrin Kadri, singing an original song of peace in Hebrew and Arabic is accruing thousands of listeners.

The song, called “Not everything is from Allah,” includes a chorus in Arabic sung by Kadri, and accompaniment from Eliad on the guitar. The talented group surrounds a smiling Rivlin at his official residence in Jerusalem.

When the nearly three-minute song is finished, Rivlin looks into the camera and says: “So, let’s all accept one another. Let’s renew Israeli hope.”

The lyrics, which rhyme in both Hebrew and Arabic, are as follows [editor’s translation]:

Everybody’s human, with a limited time on earth,
And if I don’t try to understand who you are,
Then how will I know who I am?
Faced with so many lies,
I set out to search for the truth by myself.

And He is protecting me,
Yes, He protects,
But leaves the choice in my hands.
Not all is from Allah,
If we don’t accept one another,
Even He who sits on high will not rescue us from ourselves.

How long will we go on attaching labels,
And succumbing to the darkness of prejudice?
I and I can either mean a melting pot,
Or a jungle packed with snakes and lions.

I live among those who have lost hope,
And those who have lost their heads.
Would that we’d find a bit of compassion,
Towards those who suffer because they’re uncomfortable making demands.