Yehoram Gaon and the IDF Choirs Sing "Lo Tenatzchu Oti" - You Won't Defeat Me

Yehoram Gaon has been an Israeli musical legend for more than half a century. In 1984 Naomi Shemer wrote a song, Lo Tenatzchu Oti, for a new album that he released that year. It has become very popular in Israel.

Now Yehoram Gaon has produced a new video of this song, joining with the choirs of the Israel Defense Forces to make a forceful statement that Israel will not be defeated.

As Phil Schneider wrote Tuesday in Israel Unwired,

One of the enjoyable aspects of this song is that the attitude is not one of arrogance, but one of unity. If there is one secret aspect to Israel’s success thus far in the War in Gaza, it is the unity that is so pervasive at this moment in history. Because of the enormity of the horrible tragedy of the massacre on October 7th, Israelis instinctively banded together to fight back.

The song is in Hebrew with English subtitles. The English words appear below the video.

Am Yisrael Chai!

A SPECIAL NOTE FOR NEW EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS:  THE VIDEO MAY NOT BE VIEWABLE DIRECTLY FROM THE EMAIL THAT YOU GET EACH DAY ON SOME COMPUTERS AND TABLETS.  YOU MUST CLICK ON THE TITLE AT THE TOP OF THE EMAIL TO REACH THE JEWISH HUMOR CENTRAL WEBSITE, FROM WHICH YOU CLICK ON THE PLAY BUTTON IN THE VIDEO IMAGE TO START THE VIDEO.

    

You won't defeat me.

 From my window I can see a street like an over flowing river and people on their way to work.

And young children going to school with their satchels on their backs.

And in their hands they hold some blossoming myrtle branches. 

Suddenly it becomes clear, And I say to myself: No, No, No, You won't beat me. 

I will not be defeated so fast. No, No, No, You won't beat me. I will not be defeated so fast. 

From my window I can see A plane taking off, a plane flying, Hiding in the distant clouds. 

I hear a machine in the right tune that rolls around outside and in the markets.

 Suddenly it becomes clear, And I say to myself: No, No, No, You won't beat me. 

I will not be defeated so fast. No, No, No, You won't beat me. I will not be defeated so fast. 

In my window are spring and autumn. A rainy day and a scorching day. 

Light and darkness, soloist and choir. It’s all mixed up and confused. 

Songs of Lamentations, Songs of Hallel. And sometimes it’s one giant mess. 

Suddenly it becomes clear, And I say to myself: No, No, No, You won't beat me. 

I will not be defeated so fast. No, No, No, You won't beat me. I will not be defeated so fast.