Long before hashtags and livestreams, resistance was carried through cassette tapes, chants, and street rhythms. For decades, songs have been one of Palestine’s strongest weapons, crossing checkpoints more easily than people ever could. From the protest anthems of the 1970s to the Dabke samples flipped by diaspora rappers, the message hasn’t changed, only the medium.
Below, 18 tracks that capture the struggle for freedom and justice, while sustaining it.
Leve Palestina – Kofia (1978)
In the late 1970s, Palestinian musician George Totari founded the band Kofia in Gothenburg, Sweden. Their mission was clear: to spread the Palestinian cause through music. Among their repertoire, Leve Palestina (“Long Live Palestine”) became an anthem at Swedish left-wing demonstrations. Its popularity was such that in 2019, when protesters sang it on May Day, Sweden’s prime minister attempted to ban and silence the song’s message, proving just how unsettling a protest song can still be to the powers that be.
Territory – Sepultura (1993)
Brazilian heavy metal legends Sepultura released Territory as part of their 1993 album Chaos A.D., a record renowned for its political edge. The song is a blistering critique of militarism, nationalism, and the violent struggle over land.
While it was written with a broad focus on global conflicts, the music video, filmed in Israel and Palestine, made the connection unmistakable. It depicts barbed wires, military parades, religious divisions, and scenes from occupied Jerusalem, visually linking the track to the Israeli–Palestinian conflict.
Because of its imagery and timing, Territory became embraced in Palestine solidarity spaces as a metal anthem against occupation and colonial violence, showing how even a Brazilian thrash metal band ended up part of the soundtrack of resistance.
Free Palestine – Genocide (2010)
Bosnian-born rapper Genocide, who grew up as a refugee before moving to New Zealand, turned his personal history of displacement into a powerful statement of solidarity. In Free Palestine, released in the early 2010s through his platform GenocideRap.com, he channels the anger of war and exile into a rap anthem that calls out occupation and demands justice. With sharp, uncompromising lyrics, the track shows how the Palestinian struggle resonates far beyond the Middle East, echoing through global hip-hop as a universal fight against oppression.
Naci en Palestina – Emel Mathlouthi (2007)
Before her breakout Arab Spring anthem Kelmti Horra, Tunisian singer Emel Mathlouthi paid tribute to Palestine with Naci en Palestina (“Born in Palestine”). Inspired by the Spanish lament Nací en Alamo, she rewrote the lyrics to honorss. The haunting refrain, “Mawlood fi Filasteen” (Born in Palestine), became a cry of resilience. A decade later, she re-recorded it with even more depth, cementing its place among her most politically-charged works.
Somos Sur – Ana Tijoux ft. Shadia Mansour (2014)
Chilean rapper Ana Tijoux joined forces with Palestinian-British MC Shadia Mansour for this fiery track. Somos Sur (“We Are the South”) connects the struggles of Latin America with Palestine, highlighting global patterns of colonial violence. Switching between Spanish and Arabic, the two artists insist that liberation struggles are shared across continents. The song has since become a rallying cry for movements in both the Global South and diaspora communities.
Palestine – Benjamin Zephaniah (early 2000s)
The late British dub poet Benjamin Zephaniah was known for turning his verse into protest songs. In Palestine, he delivered an unapologetic spoken-word piece set to reggae-inflected beats, narrating the injustices Palestinians face while calling out Western complicity. Like much of Zephaniah’s work, the song combines wit, anger, and rhythm.
Song for Palestine – Pink Floyd (2009, live variations earlier)
Although better known for their psychedelic rock and anti-war anthems, Pink Floyd members—particularly Roger Waters—became outspoken advocates for Palestine. Song for Palestine circulated in protest contexts as part of Waters’ performances, symbolizing how one of the world’s biggest rock acts put its voice behind the cause. Its very existence highlighted how Palestine had reached into mainstream Western music culture.
Michael Heart – We Will Not Go Down (2009)
In the wake of Israel’s 2008–2009 assault on Gaza, known as Operation Cast Lead, Syrian-American musician Michael Heart released “We Will Not Go Down,” a haunting ballad that gave voice to a besieged people. The song emerged as entire neighborhoods were reduced to rubble, schools and hospitals destroyed, and Gaza’s infrastructure turned to ash.
Heart sings to Gaza and its right to live in peace, his simple lyrics carrying the weight of devastation and defiance. “We will not go down in the night without a fight,” he declares, turning resistance into melody. The song became an online phenomenon, spreading across borders as a cry of solidarity and resilience. In its stripped-down sincerity, “We Will Not Go Down” captures both mourning and endurance — a reminder that even in darkness, the act of singing can still affirm life.
Long Live Palestine – Lowkey ft. The Narcicyst, DAM, Shadia Mansour, Reveal, Hasan Salaam (2009)
British-Iraqi rapper Lowkey’s career has always been tied to political struggle. With Long Live Palestine, released in two versions, he cemented himself as one of the loudest hip-hop voices for the cause. Part II featured an international lineup, including Palestinian hip-hop pioneers DAM, Canadian-Iraqi rapper The Narcicyst, and others. Together they created a multilingual, pan-Arab, and global anthem for solidarity.
Jil Jilala – Palestine
In their song “Palestine,” Jil Jilala transformed a distant political cause into something deeply local and familiar. Instead of adopting the martial or pan-Arab tones common in Levantine protest music, they drew from Morocco’s own spiritual and folk traditions, using rhythms inspired by Aissawa and Gnawa chants and lyrics imbued with Sufi imagery and moral reflection. Through this fusion, the band made the Palestinian cause not just a geopolitical issue but a shared moral experience that spoke to everyday Moroccan life.
By invoking the collective “we” that defines their ensemble style and weaving spiritual expressions such as “Allah ya Mawlana” into their music, Jil Jilala expressed solidarity through faith and humility. The song mourns oppression and calls for renewal, urging Arabs to look inward, confront weakness, and rediscover unity. This Maghrebi sensibility — where devotion, dignity, and collective spirit form the essence of resistance — deepened their repertoire of solidarity, reflected in songs such as “Mzyan Mdidak,” “Ya Sah,” and “Ghir Hadouni,” which blend spiritual invocation with social reflection.
Bil Akhdar Kaffanah – Marcel Khalife (1976)
In the Lebanese civil war years, composer Marcel Khalife collaborated with Mahmoud Darwish, setting his poetry to music. Bil Akhdar Kaffanah (“We Wrapped Him in Green”) mourns and honors Palestinian martyrs, using Darwish’s words as lyrical resistance. Khalife’s oud and solemn vocals turned the poem into a national elegy, immortalizing Palestine in the canon of Arabic protest music.
Freedom for Palestine – OneWorld (2011)
This charity single brought together an eclectic mix of international artists—ranging from Faithless to Dave Randall—to release Freedom for Palestine. With proceeds going to Palestinian aid, the track fused pop hooks with protest chants, designed to reach mainstream radio. Its music video, featuring images of protests and solidarity, drew both praise and criticism, but ultimately amplified the call for liberation to new audiences.
Ya Falastinia – Sheikh Imam (1960s–70s)
Cairo’s blind troubadour Sheikh Imam, alongside poet Ahmed Fouad Negm, recorded dozens of songs for Palestine during the height of Arab solidarity movements. Ya Falastinia remains the most beloved, celebrating Palestinian women as symbols of steadfastness. Its simple oud accompaniment and satirical bite made it both a protest song and a piece of popular folklore across the Arab world.
Ma Tensou Falastine – Khaled El Haber (1980s)
Lebanese protest singer Khaled El Haber wrote Ma Tensou Falastine (“Don’t Forget Palestine”) in the 1980s, when Lebanon itself was entangled in wars involving Israeli occupation. Mixing folk, rock, and theater performance, El Haber’s works were always politically sharp. This song was a reminder that even amid Lebanon’s own turmoil, the Palestinian struggle had to remain central.
Story of Palestine – Eman Askar (2021)
During the Sheikh Jarrah protests and Gaza bombings in 2021, Egyptian mother Eman Askar went viral with a simple yet powerful adaptation of Nathan Evans’ sea shanty Wellerman. Tapping rhythmically on a desk, she sang: “There once was a land called Palestine, where Christians, Muslims and Jews lived fine.” The minute-and-a-half song condensed the history of occupation into plain English, resonating with millions online. Despite its modest production, it became the most recognizable Palestinian solidarity song of the digital era.
My Name is Palestine – Gareth Huwitt (2019)
British singer Gareth Huwitt was staying in Bethlehem when he encountered the famous painting My Name is Palestine by Palestinian artist Suleiman Mansour. Inspired, he sought permission to use the artwork as his record cover and wrote a song of the same name. The track calls for equality and justice, rejecting decades of dehumanization. Its international release, paired with Mansour’s iconic imagery, gave global audiences a distinctly Palestinian story in a British voice.
Zahrat al-Mada’in (Ya Quds) – Fairuz (1967)
In the aftermath of the 1967 Arab–Israeli War and the occupation of East Jerusalem, the Rahbani brothers wrote Zahrat al-Mada’in (“Flower of the Cities”) for the legendary Lebanese singer Fairuz. Known popularly by its refrain “Ya Quds” (“O Jerusalem”), the song mourns the loss of the holy city while pledging that it will one day return to Arab and Palestinian hands.
With sweeping orchestration and Fairuz’s soaring voice, the track became an anthem of Arab solidarity. Unlike many songs of its era that spoke in broad nationalist terms, Zahrat al-Mada’in directly addressed Jerusalem, elevating it as a symbol of faith, resilience, and belonging. To this day, it remains one of the most enduring musical tributes to Palestine, performed at rallies, cultural festivals, and family gatherings alike.
Mashrou’ Leila – Cavalry (Official Music Video)
Unlike the sweeping nationalism of earlier decades, Mashrou’ Leila’s 2019 single Cavalry offers a contemporary and intimate portrayal of occupation and resistance. Eschewing slogans and spectacle, the band turns to emotional realism with sparse melodies, restrained vocals, and quiet rage. “It’s about putting up a fight even when the odds are stacked against us,” they once explained, defining protest not as propaganda but as a form of witnessing.
Directed by Jessy Moussallem, the video follows a young girl confronting soldiers as they raid her home, a scene that recalls Ahed Tamimi’s defiance in 2017. As soldiers tear through rooms, arrest young men, and cut down an olive tree, Cavalry captures the daily violence of occupation and the persistence of those who endure it.
The post Songs for Palestine: How Artists Across the World Kept Palestine Alive in Music appeared first on MILLE WORLD.
