“And the Children of Israel Sang this Song”: The Role of Israeli Law and Policy in the Advancement of Israeli Song

Abstract

Popular music is widely recognized as a cultural form that serves as the major signifier of Israeli identity and the notion of “Israeliness.” Its depiction by Ehud Manor – the most prolific of Israeli songwriters – resembles the central elements of the dominant Zionist narrative: it is in Hebrew, it represents the “ingathering of the [Jewish] exiles” and it disregards the existence of non-Jews in the civic and cultural sphere. This study looks at the legal and policy ramifications of government policymakers’ recognition of the significance of the song as a signifier of Israeli identity and of its competition for the hearts of Israelis over the airwaves. This ensuing effort is described through an analysis of the founding documents – draft laws, Knesset floor and committee debates, and the final legislative form – that led to the creation of a minimum quota for the broadcasting of Israeli songs on Israeli public and commercial radio stations and the establishment of a government-licensed “Israeli and Mediterranean” music channel over cable and satellite television. The narrative that arises from the debate that takes place annually as part of the celebration of “Israeli Song Week” in the Knesset about the “Israeli song” helps illustrate the underlying ideological assumptions of this effort. The study identifies the overriding elements of the hegemonic Israeli narrative in these documents and debates and sets them in context of other Israeli cultural policies and in particular those pertaining to broadcasting. Taking into account how expressive culture (i.e. music) and the global music industry impact the shaping of domestic cultural policies, the study contextualizes Israeli cultural policies as they pertain to the Israeli song and provides a theoretical framework to analyze their development and underpinnings.