Ima Mechaka Babayit Part II

Ima Mechaka Babayit was the slogan for the MIA (Missing in Action) campaign. In English, it means ‘Mother is Waiting at Home’; a reference to the families desperately waiting for news of their sons’ fate.

Yo back in the eighties an atrocity occurred

Four men abducted, you may well have heard

See I think it’s time for awareness to be raised

Of the plight of the Israeli M.I.A.s

1982’s the first date to remember

Three boys taken – Katz, Baumel, Feldman

And then after only four more years

Ron Arad’s kidnapping caused more Israeli tears

The worst part of it is the huge frustration

At the kidnappers refusal to give any information

About their prisoners status, their health and wellbeing

We don’t even know for sure that they’re living

It’s disgusting how they cause so many people so much anguish

Any sort of news we’d be desperate to have it

But no, it seems that it’s just too much to ask

The mothers have to stay waiting, kept in the dark

Hook:

Ima mechaka ba’bayit

We’ve gotta keep trying

So we can stop these mothers crying

We’ve got to put our time and the money that we earn

Into making sure that the M.I.A.s return

Home, to their parents, to their wives,

Let them have a family and live a normal life

We’ve gotta get them back to where they belong

End this injustice, right this wrong

In 2006 the situation was compounded

In Gaza and Lebanon our borders were flouted

Three more taken by Hamas and the Hizbollah

Their names Ehud Eldad and also Gilad

And when Israel tries to take back our men

The rest of the world they all start to condemn

All hypocrites cos if it happened to them

I’d like to see them show restraint, to sit and pretend

That nothing was wrong, that no one had gone

Ignore mothers’ cries and Antithesis’s song

But that’s not how it works – we all should have learned

When Israel’s in trouble the world likes to turn

Its back on our suffering our grief and our pain

Ignoring our protests time and again

It’s like their indifference is somehow ingrained

See the state of Israel as something of a stain

On their world – just getting in the way

As if it weren’t for Israel there’d be world peace today

This is a message to everyone telling us what has to be

Forget your propaganda and think of the families

Hook

So now that you’re clear on the current situation

You might ask what’s the point in a continued altercation?

In 200 three were kidnapped, it turned out they’d died

So what’s the chance that the others are still alive?

This may sound insensitive but perhaps they’re not

But even so there’s no reason why we should stop

Our campaign, even if it’s just for the remains

So we can bury them in Israel, in proper graves

To let the families know for sure

Whether to celebrate, or whether to mourn

If it’s the latter, at least they’ll get some closure

It’ll will be such a relief, to finally know the

Truth, to be able to continue with their lives

Without having to wonder if the soldiers have survived

How can you help? Start by wearing a blue ribbon

Then you might want to sign or even start a petition

Write a letter of support to the families

Take the initiative, organise some rallies

What it all comes down to is raising awareness

Make important people really start caring

Write to Kofi Annan, make him earn his prize for peace

By getting him to fight for the M.I.A.s’ release

And if at any point you require motivation

Just think of the mothers, sitting there, waiting

Hook x 2