The Sticker Song (Shirat Ha’Sticker) is a 2004 single by the Israeli hip-hop band Ha’Dag Nahash (lit. “The Snake-Fish”, a play on words on the term “Nahag Hadash” meaning “new driver”). The song’s lyrics were not written by the band members, but rather by a novelist named David Grossman, who reached out to the band, asking if could find an appropriate melody for it. A hip-hop band teaming up with a poet is not an expected combo, but the song ended up being a chart-topper for two straight years after its release, remaining to this day one of the band’s most memorable and popular, if not in the entirety of Israeli music.

The song itself is a protest song commenting on the state of Israeli politics, whose writing began after the assassination of Israeli prime minister Itzhak Rabin. Izhak Rabin was the prime minister who signed The Oslo Accords, a series of peace accords between the state of Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization, with the goal of creating a Palestinean state in co-existence with Israel. At the time this was seen by some as a hopeful and long-needed approach, but it was instantly and incredibly controversial, being opposed by both Israeli and Palestinean groups who believed there can be no meaningful peace with the other side.

At the time of Rabin’s assassination, bumper-stickers were incredibly common, not only as decorative jokes but as ways to signal political beliefs and alliances. They were cheap to produce, typically distributed for free, and were composed mostly of short and witty slogans; who wouldn’t want one? Grossman, the song’s author, viewed these as a way to represent the fractured and radicalized stances of the Israeli public, so he began writing down and compiling every slogan he saw.

This song has been incredibly popular since release, and it’s one I think is very interesting to talk about as a snapshot of local politics, but just translating it 1:1 would miss the fact that every word and lyric in it is a reference to some national event or cultural identity. As such, I’ve decided to write a direct translation of the words being said, and also write a short explanation for any terms or phrases that would be benefitted from an additional cultural context.

Any words that have a hyperlink can be clicked to be brought to relevant context. If a line doesn’t have a link, it’s either because I thought it was simple enough to be understood on its own, or I have sincerely no idea what it’s referencing.

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Onto the cultural context:

No Peace with the Arabs, Don’t Give Them Guns

A slogan popularized around the Oslo Accords by its opposers, saying that giving the Palestineans the funds and weapons to build a nation would result in said efforts being aimed back at Israel. This argument is still popular to this day, saying that the removal of Israeli settlements from Gaza in 2005 was a mistake.

Conscription

Israel has mandatory conscription for nearly all of its citizens at the age of 18, being 32 months (2 years and 8 months) for men, and 24 months (2 years) for women. As most of the country was in the IDF in some shape or form, discussions regarding the army and its soldiers are seen as closer to home (as its comprised of pretty much everyone between the ages of 18-21).

Combat is the Best, Bro

Due to the mandatory conscription, many army slogans are popular in general Israeli culture. For example, combat is seen as being “real-er”/ more meaningful army work than administrative work, with people who do the latter being given the someone derogatory nickname of “Job-nicks” (alluding to how they’re basically doing an office job without pay).

There’s Never Any Despair

The Jewish equivalent to “God works in mysterious ways”; you shouldn’t fall to despair, as whatever ills you may be going through, they’re being done by a good and just God, and therefore must be for your eventual good.

Transfer

The “transfer” referred to multiple times is the idea of a population transfer, particularly in the areas of Judea and Samaria (the west bank), and Gaza (JSG). In short, “kick out all the arabs and have israelis move in.” It has been frequently stated as a goal by radical right-wing political groups, such as Kach and Otzma Yehudit.

Nachman from Uman

Nachman of Uman, aka Nachman from Bratslav, is one of the most influential rebbes of the modern day. His teachings focused very much on the importance of happiness, innocence, and simple belief. I wish I could tell you more, but I’m not particularly religious.

The slogan of his followers is written out as if stuttered: “N Na Nach Nachm Nachman [of] Uman”.

Death to the Zealots

As far as I can tell, this is a reference to the Zealots, a jewish political movement from the time of the second temple. I sincerely could not tell you anything beyond that. I asked some religious jews and they didn’t know either.

How Much Evil Can Be Swallowed?

A popular animal rights slogan from the late 1990s which criticized the force-feeding and fattening of geese (aka Foie Gras). The campaign which used this slogan was successful in getting the practice banned in Israel. The song uses this same line to comment on how vile popular political catchphrases were and still are.

Chabad’s Messiah

There is a split in the Chabad-Lubavitch community of religious Jews regarding one of their most well-known rebbes, Menachem Mendel Schneerson: Was he the messiah? The ones who believe he was are a large enough group that you’ll find a “LONG LIVE THE MESSIAH” sticker within spitting distance in any Israeli city. The current Chabad leadership does not follow this idea, and tries to dissuade people from continuing that belief.

This group is not to be confused with the Messianic Jews, who are just Christians.

The High Court Endangers Jews

Israel’s High Court is the court that has the final say when it comes to legal procedures, and is often where politically charged or divisive court cases end up. It’s often criticized by the Israeli left and the right whenever it deals out a ruling they disagree with. This slogan is a right-wing one, and often relates to rulings regarding the rights of Palestineans.

Settlement in the Golan Heights

At the time this song was made, settlements in the Golan Heights (an area on the south of Syria, east of the Sea of Galilee) were a hot button issue. Nowadays it’s a non-issue, in the sense that the settlers managed to annex the area in nearly all respects. Infact, a foundation for supporting said settlements was disbanded in 2016, claiming that “there is no reasonable threat to the Golan Heights within the forseeable future, and so the continued existence of this committee is unjustified.”

Test in Yarka

Yarka is a druze village in Israel. As many Israelis tend to go to arabic cities outside of their area for cheap services, the sticker jokes about doing your yearly car test there.

Goodbye, Friend

Following Rabin’s assassination by a right-wing Israeli who opposed the Oslo Accords, Bill Clinton gave a speech eulogizing him, ending the speech with a phrase in hebrew: “Shalom, Haver” ([Goodbye/Peace], friend). Following this speech, the nickname “Friend” was used in many slogans discussing the assassination. Most were ones who opposed the killing and were in favor of the accords, such as “Goodbye, Friend”, “Friend, I remember”, or “Friend, you’re missing”.

Some were slogans using the term in a mocking way to criticize Rabin, such as “This is not Peace, Friend”, “Friend, you’re to blame”, or “It’s all because of you, Friend.”

Direct Choice is Wrong

At the time of the song’s release, a hot button issue was a change to the Israeli voting system which allowed voters to submit one vote for which party would choose the prime minister, and another vote for which party they’d like to support in palimentary representation; the “direct choice” in question. This change made it so the average voter could better vote for who they believe best represents their interests, rather than voting only for the party who they thought has a chance to win.

Of course, this slashed the power of the four biggest political parties, so they killed it.

Halakhic Country - Country’s Screwed

Despite being a jewish state, how jewish the state should be is a frequent point of contention. Should businesses and public transport work normally in Shabbat, despite it being the day of rest? This is so contentious, that in late 2022 and early 2023 a mainstream political discussion was whether Israel should be a Jewish state at all. This slogan is one supporting a more secular Israel.

Sharon’s Peace

This line is referring to Ariel Sharon, a member of the Likkud party who was prime minister during the song’s release.

Hebron’s Fathers

According to Jewish tradition, the tombs of Adam and Eve, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Sarah, Rebbeca, and Leah, are all in eastern Hebron. Specifically, in the Tomb of the Patriarchs. It is one of the holiest sites for both Judaism and Islam.

Kahane was Right

Meir Kahane is one of the most infamous figures in Israeli politics. Born in New York in 1932, he was convicted of terrorism and implicted in several plots before moving to Israel in his 40s and creating the Kach political party. The party’s political stances are removing all nationality-based rights from non-jews, annexation of “every part of Israel that is in our hands”, to ban marriage with non-jews, the removal of democracy as it is “against jewish values,” and allowing soldiers to kill an entire city if a single person there threw a rock at them.

Following Kahane’s assassination and the Cave of the Patriarchs Massacre (the latter organized and executed by a member of Kach) the party was designated a terrorist organization by Israel and membership was outlawed.

The slogan of “Kahane was Right” is, as you’d expect, calls that he was right about genociding the arabic population and creating an authoritarian jewish state.

The party’s political offspring, Otzma Yehudit, is currently in the Israeli Government and led by Itamar Ben Gvir, who had a framed portrait of the man who committed the aformentioned massacre.

CNN Lies

A common way to dismiss the exposes on what the Israeli Government and the IDF do is to claim that foreign media is bought out, antisemitic, or bought out by antisemites. (Typically by “the rich arabs who have all the oil.”)

Oslo Criminals to Trial

As mentioned in the introduction, the Oslo Accords were incredibly controversial, to the point of having people marching with a coffin with Rabin’s name on it, and trying to bomb his car. One of the chants against it was saying they’re criminals who’ll cause the downfall of the state of Israel and/or massacres of jews.

Oh hey, did I happen to mention that our current prime minister and minister of national security were respectively with that coffin and trying to bomb his car? Funny times.

We’re Here and They’re There

A slogan criticizing the “security perimeters” and separations between the Israeli population and the Palestinean population.

Let the Animals Live

The standard pro-animal rights slogan in israel.

Death to the Values?

Of all the slogans in this song, this one is probably the most everpresent and infamous one, and it’s one that the band initially refused to include. “Death to the Values” is actually a censorship, as they didn’t want people screaming the slogan while singing along.

The actual sticker is “Death to the Arabs.”

Death Penalty

Israel does not have a Death Penalty, except for “the nazis and their assistants.” The only execution in the country’s history was Adolf Eichmann. Suggestions to legalize the death penalty for [insert group that the speaker deems to be sub-human here] are often floated.

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I hope you enjoyed this, and feel free to email me if there’s anything you want clarified or added. I would like to add though - this took me over a week. (I procrastinated most of that week but still.) Jesus.