© Samuel Green 2001   

Ima Mechaka Ba'bayit We don't even know for sure that

Yo back in the eighties an atrocity occurred
Four men abducted, you may well have heard
See I think it's time for awareness to be raised
Of the plight of the Israeli M.I.A.s
1982's the first date to remember
Three boys taken - Katz, Baumel, Feldman
And then after only four more years
Ron Arad's kidnapping caused more Israeli tears
The worst part of it is the huge frustration
At the kidnappers refusal to give any information
About their prisoners status, their health and wellbeing
We don't even know for sure that they're living
It's disgusting how they cause so many people so much anguish
Any sort of news we'd be desperate to have it
But no, it seems that it's just too much to ask
The mothers have to stay waiting, kept in the dark

Chorus:
Ima mechaka ba'bayit
We've gotta keep trying
So we can stop these mothers crying
We've got to put our time and the money that we earn
Into making sure that the M.I.A.s return
Home, to their parents, to their wives,
Let them have a family and live a normal life
We've gotta get them back to where they belong
End this injustice, right this wrong

Just over one year ago the situation was compounded
On the Lebanese border security was flouted
Three more taken, this time by the Hizbollah
Their names - Adi, Benny and also Omar
And who looked on while terrorists stole our men?
It was those lovely soldiers representing the UN
I thought they were there in place as our friends
To help save us from terror, not to watch but protect
But no, we can't even expect that much
We should've learnt by now that the UN hates us
A clear indication of its ingrained impurity
Is that Syria has been put in charge of security
Now things had got worse, it wasn't four but seven
The lack of cooperation by the captors was so vexing
And three more families were missing a member
Their hope was failing, the fire was down to its embers
And what do we learn coming into November?
Israeli intelligence discovered that we'd never
See these three again, their lives had ended
Hizbollah had given false hope, they'd lied and pretended

Chorus

So now that you're clear on the current situation
You might ask what's the point in a continued altercation?
If three have gone for a year and already have died
What's the chance that the other four are still alive?
This may sound insensitive but perhaps they're not
But even so there's no reason why we should stop
Our campaign, even if it's just for the remains
So we can bury them in Israel, in proper graves
To let the families know for sure
Whether to celebrate, or whether to mourn
If it's the latter, at least they'll get some closure
It'll will be such a relief, to finally know the
Truth, to be able to continue with their lives
Without having to wonder if the soldiers have survived
How can you help? Start by wearing a blue ribbon
Then you might want to sign or even start a petition
Write a letter of support to the families
Take the initiative, organise some rallies
What it all comes down to is raising awareness
Make important people really start caring
Write to Kofi Annan, make him earn his prize for peace
By getting him to fight for the M.I.A.s release
And if at any point you require motivation
Just think of the mothers, sitting there, waiting