Opinion: Israel should consider changing ‘Hatikvah’ as its national anthem

Israel should consider changing “Hatikvah,” the national anthem that expresses the Jewish people’s longing to return to Zion, the article argues. The proposal draws on examples from countries that changed their anthems after shifts in political systems, national identity or historical understanding.

Australia replaced “God Save the Queen” with “Advance Australia Fair” in April 1984. New Zealand has two anthems, including “God Defend New Zealand,” which pays tribute to the Indigenous Māori population. South Africa abandoned its two previous anthems after apartheid and adopted a new one in 1997.

Russia has changed its anthem at least three times, while the present version uses the Soviet-era melody with revised lyrics. Before German reunification, East and West Germany also used different anthems. The East German anthem was “Risen from the Ashes,” while West Germany sang “Germany Above All” without some Nazi-era lyrics.

For Jews around the world, “Hatikvah,” originally a poem written by Naftali Herz Imber in 1878, remains a universal Jewish anthem. Its melody came from a Moldavian folk song adapted by Romanian immigrant Samuel Cohen. But the article says the anthem does not reflect the minorities who are also part of Israel.

The writer proposes “Jerusalem of Gold,” often regarded as Israel’s unofficial second anthem, although its reference to the Temple Mount would need to change because of the site’s political and religious connotations. The article says that whether Israel revises that song or commissions a new one, the goal should be an anthem whose words can represent every sector of the population.