Atop a soaring Tel Aviv skyscraper, an orchestra of Jewish, Muslim, Druze and Christian musicians from across Israel performed the Emirati song “Ahebak” (“I Love You”) in tribute to the historic Israel-UAE peace treaty. “It has made a lot of noise,” says Firqat Alnoor Orchestra co-founder and manager Hana Ftaya. “The reactions are overwhelmingly positive. We weren’t surprised to get negative comments as well. We believe it will take time to change attitudes.” Firqat Alnoor isn’t the only multi-ethnic Israeli musical group – for example, the Jerusalem Youth Chorus and the Rana Women’s Choir model coexistence in song. But this orchestra’s mission is unique: to elevate Arabic musical traditions brought to Israel by immigrants from Eastern (Mizrahi) countries such as Iraq, Morocco and Egypt. The 25 musicians comprise secular and religious men and women from the Galilee in the north to the Negev in the south and many points in between. “We just care about the music and not the politics,” Ftaya shared. “We really feel like a family. All my musicians tell me it doesn’t feel like they’re coming to work. We all love each other.” And that is the spirit in which “Ahebak” was conceived. Composed by Hussain Al Jassmi with lyrics by Ahmed Alsanea, the 2018 recording is popular across the Arab world and has been covered by a variety of artists – although never before by an Israeli orchestra dedicated to Arabic music. Producer Ronen Peled Hadad decided to shoot the clip at 6 in the morning on the roof of the 187-meter (614-foot) Azrieli Circular Tower in homage to Burj Khalifa in Dubai, at 830 meters the tallest edifice in the world. Scenes of the orchestra members on their way to the Tel Aviv landmark pay subtle homage to the Israeli film (and later Broadway play) “The Band’s Visit,” where an Egyptian band comes to Israel to perform and awkwardly winds up in the wrong town. “We say that any orchestra from any Arab country will be welcome, with respect and cooperation,” says Ftaya. Musical cooperation is already showing signs of promise. Source: Israel 21c