I was at a delightful Israeli friend’s post-voting party yesterday, and remembered to ask her about a song that I’d always loved since watching the film Raid On Entebbe many many years ago.
The film is based on the real-life hijacking of an Air France plane with more than 100 Israeli citizens on board, by members of the Popular Front For The Liberation Of Palestine, and the subsequent successful mission by the Israeli Defense Force to rescue them at Entebbe Airport in Uganda.
The song Hine Ma Tov was sung by the soldiers on the airplane en route to Entebbe to free the hostages who were being held at the airport with the support of then dictator Idi Amin. The only video I could manage to find is not of good sound quality, but wait until about 20 seconds when the commandos get into full rhythm. It’s just beautiful.
The Hebrew lyrics are taken from the final verse of Psalm 133, and is popular at Jewish feasts.
Hine(y) ma tov u’ma-nayim
Shevet ach-im gam ya-chad
It translates more or less into something that is quite wonderful and sorely needed in the world today.
Behold how good
and how pleasing
if brothers (people) could sit together in unity.
Peace, out!
Lenny Says 