‘No Other Land’: singing from the same song sheet

Of all the controversies that followed the unanticipated Oscar win by No Other Land directed by Basel Adra, Hamdan Ballal, Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor, the one that surprised me most surrounded its name. Some Israeli influencers and journalists, perhaps without having seen this scene in the film, accused it of appropriating a well-known Israeli song, "Ein li eretz acheret" (I have no other country) by Ehud Manor.

"Ein li eretz acheret", a patriotic favourite of Israelis since it was written in 1982, has gained a new currency as the anthem of the pro-democracy protest movement.

This dispute over the film's title is emblematic of a larger pattern where cultural artefacts - from falafel and hummus to Mizrahi music and olive farming - are claimed as the exclusive heritage of either Israelis or Palestinians. However, what this controversy truly symbolises is not cultural appropriation, but rather a shared cultural heritage.

The reason both nations lay claim to these cultural elements is rooted in our deep historical connections to the Levant. This shared connection to the land is precisely why the phrase "no other land" resonates so strongly with both peoples.

In the aftermath of the October 7 attack and the ensuing decimation of Gaza, we've heard extreme rhetoric from both sides. Hamas and Hezbollah speak of expelling 'colonial Israelis' back to an imagined metropole in Russia or Poland. Meanwhile, many Jewish Israelis and even the US President entertain fantasies of removing millions from their homeland to create a new Gaza Riviera free of Palestinians. Both these dreams, however, fundamentally misunderstand the other.

The reality is that neither Israelis nor Palestinians are going anywhere. Between the River and the Sea, there are now 7.7 million Jews and 7.1 million Arabs. Until we accept that both truly have 'no other land', this conflict will never end.

As we grapple with the complexities of this renewed war following the end of a fragile two-month ceasefire, I hope all who live here remember that acknowledging our shared connection to this land is not a zero-sum game. Rather, it's the first step towards building a future where both peoples can live with dignity, security, and peace.

I was particularly struck by this reflection from an Israeli peace activist who had donated a beautiful rainbow jumpsuit to a family in Gaza, only to later receive this tragic news.

From Suf Patishi in Israel, to Mohamed Diab a Gaza resident who calls for Hamas to stand down and release the Israeli hostages, one can only hope that the voices displaying this empathy and concern for the other grow and multiply until their views are mainstream, for neither of us has another land to call home.