Israeli singer Raviv Kaner has released a powerful new song titled “Bnei Ma’arouf”, marking one year since the deadly missile strike by Hezbollah on a football field in Majdal Shams that claimed the lives of 12 Druze children and wounded 34 others, most of them minors.
The song, performed in both Hebrew and Arabic, was written and composed by Kaner, Eitan Peled, Mara and Yosef Kara. A haunting chorus, sung by a Druze children’s choir in Arabic, includes the chilling line: “Don’t cry, mother, I’ll soon return with the birds of paradise.”
“This song is a symbol of brotherhood, unity, and a window into the Druze world, which not everyone in Israel truly knows,” said Kaner. “It is a world rooted in goodness, patriotism, love of the land, and devotion to the country. I wanted to create something entirely for the Druze community—in memory of the children, and to raise awareness of the community and its contributions to the State.”
Peled, who became closely acquainted with the Druze community while working as an instructor at a joint pre-military academy in the village of Julis following his service in Unit 8200, added: “On October 7, I received the heartbreaking news that one of my former students was murdered at the Nova festival. My heart shattered. Throughout the war I served in reserves, alongside my Druze brothers. When Raviv called to ask if I’d like to co-create a tribute for the Druze community, I had chills.”
The music video and recordings were completed over two days in the Druze villages of Majdal Shams, Daliyat al-Karmel, and Nabi Shu’ayb, where the creators formed deep bonds with victims’ families and community members. The song draws inspiration from the Druze belief in the transmigration of souls and tells a moving dialogue between a mother and her child.