0:00
/
0:00
Transcript

Alahn gets out of the hospital

A sweet video shared by Ichilov hospital makes its way around Israeli social media

On July 27, 2024, just about half a year ago, Hezbollah fired a projectile that hit a soccer field in the Druze town of Majdal Shams Israel’s north. The toll was horrific. Twelve children were filled, and forty-two were wounded.

Interestingly, none of the children killed had Israeli citizenship. Israel has allowed the Druze in the north to decide whether they want citizenship, and for a variety of reasons—prime among them the fear that their area might be returned to Syria and that Assad would then punish them for having accepted Israeli citizenship—about 75% of the Druze in then north have declined citizenship.


One of the wounded children, Alahn, went through several surgeries and then rehabilitation at Ichilov Hospital in Tel Aviv, and was recently released. The hospital posted a Facebook video of his departure from the department, which has gone somewhat viral on Israeli social media.

The song that everyone is singing is the very popular “[God] Always Loves Me” performed here by Sasson Shaulov.

The part of the song that’s being sung is this:

וה' יתברך תמיד אוהב אותי
ותמיד יהיה לי רק טוב
ה' יתברך תמיד אוהב אותי ותמיד יהיה לי רק טוב
ויהיה לי עוד יותר טוב
ועוד יותר טוב
ועוד יותר טוב
ועוד יותר טוב
ועוד יותר טוב
ועוד יותר טוב
ותמיד יהיה לי רק טוב

And the blessed Lord always loves me
And I will always have only good
The blessed Lord always loves me and I will always have only good
And it will be even better for me
And even better
And even better
And even better
And even better
And even better
And I will always have only good


Importing overtly religious themes into a song like this a distinctly Mizrachi contribution to Israeli music. The Mizrachi roots of the song are clear not only in the song but in the video that was produced for the song:

This “tribal” blend of religion, popular culture and faith as a given is much of “new Israel.”


If you would like to share our conversation about what Israelis are feeling and expressing at this unprecedented moment in our history, we invite you to subscribe today.


Here’s an AI-generated translation of the full song. Make sure to note the mosaic of Israeli images and people that were clearly carefully chosen. They say a tremendous amount about Israel — culturally, socially and politically.


God is a good father and He always takes pride in me, sees only the good points in me
He sees that I want to be good, it just doesn't work out, and I'm only missing a few prayers
And God also saw the desire I had, that I tried, I didn't give up
He sees in my shame, in the bitterness I felt, how I started again each timeAnd the blessed Lord always loves me
And I will always have only good

The blessed Lord always loves me and I will always have only good
And it will be even better for me
And even better
And even better
And even better
And even better
And even better
And I will always have only good

He hears, has mercy on me, and always answers me
And if not yet, He continues to wait
Fill me with the fact that You always love me
Give me new gifts every day
And lead me with such mercy as in this world is called mercy
Let everyone see that You do hear prayers
And we'll smile, be healthy, and sing

That the blessed Lord always loves me
And I will always have only good
The blessed Lord always loves me and I will always have only good
And it will be even better for me
And even better
And even better
And even better
And even better
And even better
And I will always have only good

And I will have livelihood
I will have wealth
And singles will have their match
There will also be complete healing and strong health
Beautiful, happy lives year after yearThe light will shine in us, faith will illuminate,
True wisdom and knowledge and understanding
Our Messiah will come already and without any war
We'll also eat watermelon, it will be a holiday for us

The blessed Lord always loves me
And I will always have only good
The blessed Lord always loves me and I will always have only good
And it will be even better for me
And even better
And even better
And even better
And even better
And even better
And I will always have only good


Now, watch the video at the very top once again, and watch the newly healed Druze boy about to go home back to the north of Israel singing about God (and imitating the music video) with the Jewish and Arab hospital staff —

— hard not to feel more than a bit of hope.


Share Israel from the Inside with Daniel Gordis

Refer a friend

Give a gift subscription