Hareut (''friendship'', ''fellowship'', ''comradeship'' in English, here esp. ''brotherhood in arms'') is a

Hebrew Hebrew (; ''ʿÎbrit'') is a Northwest Semitic languages, Northwest Semitic language within the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family. A regional dialect of the Canaanite languages, it was natively spoken by the Israelites and ...

poem written by

Haim Gouri Haim Gouri (; Gurfinkel; 9 October 1923 – 31 January 2018) was an Israeli poet, novelist, journalist, and documentary film, documentary director (film), filmmaker. He was awarded the Israel Prize for poetry in 1988 and was the #Awards and rec ...

and set to music by

Sasha Argov Alexander "Sasha" Argov (; born Alexander Abramovich; Moscow, 26 October 1914 – Tel Aviv, 27 September 1995) was a prominent Israeli composer. Life and career Argov was born Alexander Abramovich in Moscow, Russia in 1914. Later he changed h ...

. The song was written a year after the outbreak of the

1948 Arab–Israeli War The 1948 Arab–Israeli War, also known as the First Arab–Israeli War, followed the 1947–1948 civil war in Mandatory Palestine, civil war in Mandatory Palestine as the second and final stage of the 1948 Palestine war. The civil war becam ...

and commemorates those who fell in the war. The song is often performed at memorial ceremonies. The song was originally performed by the

Chizbatron The Chizbatron () was an Israeli musical ensemble under the auspices of the Israel Defense Force (IDF). It operated during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, serving within the Palmach. They were the first Israeli military band and many of their songs wo ...

with

Gideon Singer Gideon Singer (; 29 June 1926 – 11 May 2015) was an Israeli actor and singer. Biography Born in Brno, Singer emigrated with his family from Czechoslovakia to Israel in 1940 and he was a survivor of the Patria shipwreck. Singer lived in Tel ...

as a soloist. Other well-known performances of the song have been by the

Nahal Entertainment Troupe Lehakat HaNahal (Hebrew: להקת הנח"ל; lit. ''The Nahal Band'', also known in English as the ''Nahal Entertainment Troupe'') is the musical military ensemble of the Nahal program of the Israel Defense Forces. Established in November 1951 a ...

, and popular singers

Shoshana Damari Shoshana Damari (; 31 March 1923 – 14 February 2006) was an Israeli singer known as the "Queen of Hebrew Music." Biography Shoshana Damari was born as Shodia Damari on the eve of Passover in Dhamar, Yemen as the eldest daughter in a family ...

and

Yehoram Gaon Yehoram Gaon (; born December 28, 1939) is an Israeli singer, actor, director, comedian, producer, TV and radio host, and public figure. He has also written and edited books on Israeli culture. The son of Sephardic Jewish parents—a Bosnian f ...

. Prior to Israel's 60th Independence Day, the song was elected by IDF soldiers on the

Army Radio Israeli Army Radio ( lit. IDF waves) or Galei Tzahal, known in Israel by its acronym Galatz (), is a nationwide state funded Israeli radio network operated by the Israel Defense Forces. The station broadcasts news, music, traffic reports and educa ...

, as their favourite Hebrew song, ranking ahead of the popular

Jerusalem of Gold "Jerusalem of Gold" (, ''Yerushalayim Shel Zahav'') is an Israeli song written by Naomi Shemer. Often contrasted to Israel's national anthem, Hatikva, the original song expressed the deep longing of many Jews to return to Jerusalem's Old City ...

. The song was highly ranked in other competitions. The song represents the social ideals of the period of the

1947–1949 Palestine war The 1948 Palestine war was fought in the territory of what had been, at the start of the war, British-ruled Mandatory Palestine. During the war, the British withdrew from Palestine, Zionism, Zionist forces conquered territory and established ...

including one's sacrifice for the homeland, the individual's concern for all, and the sanctity of the memory of the fallen. In the 1990s the song also became identified with the

assassination of Yitzhak Rabin Yitzhak Rabin, the prime minister of Israel, was assassinated on 4 November 1995 at 21:30, at the end of a rally in support of the Oslo Accords at the Kings of Israel Square in Tel Aviv. The assailant was Yigal Amir, an Israeli law student and u ...

Yitzhak Rabin Yitzhak Rabin (; , ; 1 March 1922 – 4 November 1995) was an Israeli politician, statesman and general. He was the prime minister of Israel, serving two terms in office, 1974–1977, and from 1992 until Assassination of Yitzhak Rabin, his ass ...

admitted that this was one of his favourite songs, and it was performed by Shoshana Damari at the Peace Rally at which he was later assassinated. It is regularly performed at ceremonies commemorating the memory of Yitzhak Rabin.

Lyrics

External links

Hareut
performed by

{{Authority control Israeli songs Songs of the 1948 Arab–Israeli War 1949 songs