The Jewish rapper pays tribute to the capital, "heart and soul of the Jewish people," and draws attention to the Israelis being held hostage by Hamas.
U.S. reggae singer and rapper Matisyahu released a video Thursday in honor of Jerusalem Day, the national Israeli holiday commemorating the reunification of the country’s capital after the 1967 Six-Day War.
The video opens with Matisyahu addressing the camera, saying, “This is Jerusalem Day and we are going to play ‘Jerusalem,’ because Jerusalem is the heart and soul of the Jewish people.”
“Jerusalem,” one of Matisyahu’s most famous songs, is based on the well-known line from Psalm 137, “If I forget you, O Jerusalem, may my right hand forget [its skill].” The psalm, among the most renowned, expresses the Jewish people’s longing over 2,000 years of exile to return to their homeland.