Let’s Talk Straight: Rap song bares Jewish-Arab fracture
Dugri is a creative project that uses music and education to tackle racism and foster dialogue
In a country where Arabs and Jews often live parallel lives, a rap duo consisting of an Israeli and a Palestinian hope to challenge some of the pre-conceived barriers to reach a “mutually beneficial reality.”
Dugri, a creative project dedicated to using music, education, and “straightforward” dialogue, recently released a music video portraying the struggle of coexistence between Israelis and Palestinians.
Uriya Rosenman, a member of Dugri who identifies as an Israeli Jew, told i24NEWS that he just wants to “talk about the honest truth.”
It’s the group’s latest endeavor, stemming from their first project that struck a nerve in society during the Israel-Gaza conflict in May, which saw violence permeate Israeli-Arab cities.
After the initial video went viral, the pair formed Dugri to inspire social change and provide a different narrative to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Sameh Zakout, a Palestinian and a member of Dugri, explained to i24NEWS that the Arab community wants “somebody to hear our voice.”
“Most Palestinians in Israel know about Jews and Israelis - the language, the food,” which is not the case for many Jewish kids “outside of mixed cities,” Zakout said.
The video, called “Let’s Talk Straight,” features Uriya Rosenman and Sameh Zakout hurling stereotypes about Arabs and Jews, venting their frustrations with the other in an effort to tackle racism and foster dialogue.
“We have the opportunity and the privilege to use our art and creative minds to raise awareness and bring together different communities around the same idea,” Rosenman said.