Saint Levant, Father Perform Anti-Israel Song at Doha Concert for 2 Generations of Palestinian Exile
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · May 26
Saint Levant, Father Perform Anti-Israel Song at Doha Concert for 2 Generations of Palestinian Exile
3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · May 26
Summary
Doha concertgoers erupted when Saint Levant’s father opened a DJ set with bars from Shaaban Abdel Rahim’s 2000 anti-Israel song, before father and son danced through Arab and Palestinian tracks.
The political interlude came as Saint Levant framed the show around Gaza, telling fans he is often told not to speak about Palestine and arguing that joy and dancing remain a right during war.
The 25-year-old singer—born in Jerusalem, raised in Gaza and displaced at age 7—has become a rare mainstream Palestinian pop star by mixing love songs, diaspora identity and explicit pro-Palestinian messaging.
His rise has sharpened debate over how Palestinians and Arabs should publicly grieve during the Gaza war, with supporters seeing cultural resistance and critics accusing him of turning catastrophe into style.
That tension reflects a wider Arab landscape where public protest over Gaza is heavily constrained, leaving concerts and pop culture as one of the few visible outlets for collective expression.
As Saint Levant's global stardom rises, can his art remain an authentic voice for Palestine?
Is celebrating culture through pop music a valid form of resistance amid political suffering?
Two years on, has the 2048 Foundation truly changed the landscape for Palestinian artists?
From Gaza to Global Stages: Saint Levant’s 2024 Doha Concert and the Rise of Diasporic Palestinian Artistry
Overview
On May 24, 2024, Saint Levant, a Palestinian-French-Algerian rapper, delivered a powerful performance at the Katara Palestinian Festival in Doha, Qatar. The concert became a significant cultural event, offering a rare public platform for expressing solidarity with Palestine. Saint Levant openly advocated for a free Palestine, chanting slogans and displaying symbols like the keffiyeh and Palestinian flag. His presence in Qatar amplified the event’s symbolic impact, turning the stage into a space for collective expression. The young audience actively participated, highlighting the concert’s role in uniting a new generation around the Palestinian cause.