On the backdrop of recent acts of racism
against Israel's
Ethiopian community, President Shimon Peres
recently visited the Amit Reshit School in Jerusalem, where children
of Ethiopian descent have been successfully integrated. There, he was
inspired by Rachel, the school choir's lead singer.
After hearing eighth grader Rachel sing, "If I forget thee, O
Jerusalem," Peres returned to the President's Residence overwhelmed.
That night, he sat down, put his thoughts in writing and composed a song
for her and for the Ethiopian community.
"I cannot forget
Rachel's beautiful and kind eyes," he told his advisors. "When I looked
at her I saw through her eyes the Ethiopian Jews' hardship and endless
yearning for the Land of Israel."
But Peres did not settle for just writing a song. He asked his
assistants to send it to musician Idan Raichel and have him add music to
the lyrics. Raichel worked on the melody for a week and asked singer
Kabra Kasai, who immigrated to Israel from Ethiopia, to perform the
president's song.
When he heard that the song was ready, the president asked to listen
to it as soon as possible. On Thursday he arrived at Jerusalem's
International Convention Center, where Raichel revealed the song.
Only after he finished singing, Raichel informed the audience
that the lyrics were written by Peres and invited the president to sing.
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I dont buy it that he felt this sudden love and appreciation for people with Ethiopian heritage. We should look at the big picture. May be he sis doing this inorder to get his agenda( which is to separate Ethiopia and ruin our lives and take our minerals). *** the Felashas. No one cares on how they are being treated. They decided to call themselves Israelite, therefore they deserve this treatment