Israeli singers accused of copying Palestinian-Chilean artist Elyanna’s music video ‘frame by frame’

Israeli pop stars Zahara, a collaboration between Gal Juma and Asulin, are being accused of copying scenes from Palestinian-Chilean artist Elyanna’s 2024 hit song Ganeni, frame by frame. The similarity was first noticed less than two weeks after Zahara's release on August 4. Both songs feature a desert sequence with a white Mercedes, patterned rugs, and a singer covered in intricate fabrics, among other identical scenes.

Additional similarities include rooftop dance moves, sunlit silhouettes, a painted eye on performers' palms, and shared framing during dance sequences. While the music videos are different, the posts highlight specific images that closely match in both productions. The controversy centers around the videos rather than the songs, which have distinct compositions and lyrics.

Ganeni is Elyanna’s debut album, while Zahara, released on August 4, is a collaboration between Gal Juma and Asulin. Asulin, the stage name of Israeli singer-songwriter and producer Rotem Alagem Asulin, was previously known as J Lamotta. The videos were directed and filmed by Bruce Melan, garnering over one million views on YouTube by Friday.

The reaction to the alleged copying has spread across social media platforms, with users accusing the performers of creating a "copy-paste" version of Ganeni beneath several posts promoting Zahara. Neither Juma nor Asulin have publicly addressed the allegations as of Friday, and Elyanna has not commented either. The National has contacted Elyanna for a response.

Born and raised in Nazareth, Elyanna, 24, made history in 2023 by becoming the first artist to perform an entirely Arabic-language set at Coachella. She has since performed at Coachella, Coldplay's Glastonbury, and on Saturday Night Live, as well as at a ceremony before Canada’s opening World Cup match and on the FIFA tournament’s official soundtrack with Jessie Reyez.