What is Hind's Hall by Macklemore ? 🇬🇧

The explanation : 

On May 6th the American rapper Macklemore (Can’t Hold Us, Glorious…) released Hind’s Halls, a pro-Palestinian single. In the lyrics, he advocates for a ceasefire in Gaza, calls for the end of the genocide, supports the students strikes and shames his government (and especially Biden) for funding a massacre rooted in colonization and white supremacy. He denounces the music industry for keeping quiet, and the unfair Tik Tok ban in the US (Tik Tok being the platform where the current pro-palestinien mouvement is actively growing and getting stronger).

The song samples Ana La Habibi a Lebanese song by Fairuz. Hind’s Hall references the new name that Columbia’ students decided to give the Hamilton Hall during the protests. This name is a tribute to Hind, a six years old Palestinian girl who was killed by the Israeli Forces in January 2024. Driving in Gaza, her and her family, were shot by the IDF. She was the only one to survive and proceeded to call for help. We still have the recording of her call to emergency services. But she was found unalive days after, as well as the helpers who had came to rescue her. This is an absolutely heart-wrenching story, and represents the fate of thousand of children in Gaza. 

Indeed, according to the UNICEF, 35 562 palestinians have been killed since the 7th of October including more that 14 000 children. More than 79 500 civilians of Gaza have been wounded including 12 300 children. Many more are missing and probably stuck under the rubbles. Still according to the UNICEF, one kid is hurt or killed every ten minutes. And children and women represent 70% of the victims. The surviving ones live in terror and despair. Their homes and land are destroyed, their schools reduced to dust and future to ashes. They are starving, live in dreadful conditions, can’t have access to decent hygiene and medical care. They are constantly traumatized by the violent massacre they witness. Now, can we call the IDF’s operation on Gaza a genocide ? Well, according to the BBC, Francesca Albanese « a UN human rights expert says she believes Israel has committed "acts of genocide" in Gaza ». Indeed, she reports that « some of the legal criteria (of genocide) have been fulfilled », especially by Israel’s apparent « intention to destroy Palestinians as a group "in whole or in part"». 

The opinion : 

When you kill thousand of children, your intentions are pretty clear. That is NOT self defense. Hamas’ acts of terrorism are absolutely appalling and need to be condemned. Killing innocent souls is NEVER an act of resistance…or defense. Because that goes for Israel too. It’s not by killing THOUSAND of innocent lives that hostages will be brought back (the ones who have been brought back were released during a temporary ceasefire by the way). The situation has many historical, religious and political extends. The Israel-Palestine matter is a very complicated one. But it’s also very simple. STOP. KILLING. INNOCENT. LIVES. It all comes down to our shared humanity. When I see children begging for help on my Tik Tok and Instagram for you page, I know it’s wrong that they have to suffer the way they do. You shouldn’t even have to be educated on the matter to know, in your guts, that this is wrong. It is JUST wrong. Now, go listen to Hind’s Halls, all proceeds are given to the UNRWA (the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East). And CEASEFIRE. NOW.