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Matisyahu to Release New Song ‘Basi L’gani,’ Discusses Return to Writing Music and Israel Feeling ‘Like Home’
Jewish reggae artist Matisyahu. Photo: Provided
Jewish reggae artist Matisyahu opened up exclusively to The Algemeiner about releasing a new song on Thursday inspired by a Hasidic discourse, getting back to songwriting, how he tackles antisemitism, and his continued love and support for Israel.
Matisyahu’s new song and its release date both hold a special connection to the Orthodox Chabad movement. Thursday’s date on the Hebrew calendar, 10 Shevat, is the day that Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn died (January 28, 1950). Before his passing, he wrote a famous Hasidic discourse titled “Basi L’Gani” (also spelled “Bati Legani” or “Basi Legani”), which translates in English to “Enter my Garden.” The Hebrew date 10 Shevat is also the day that The Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, assumed leadership of Chabad — as well as when Matisyahu’s youngest son will turn three years old.
Matisyahu’s new song pays homage to that Hasidic discourse and is aptly titled “Basi L’gani.” The singer-songwriter, 45, wrote the track almost two years ago, prior to the Israel-Hamas war, but was waiting for the appropriate time to release it following the deadly Hamas terrorist attack on Oct. 7, 2023, he told The Algemeiner. “Basi L’gani” is the first of a group of songs that Matisyahu recorded before the war and is hoping to now release.
Many of the lyrics in Matisyahu’s new song are taken from the original Hasidic discourse. The track opens with him singing: “Come enter my garden/ my sister/ my bride. It’s been a long coming/ and you been out all night. Rise in the morning/shine your light.”
“Like knowledge from the tree/ won’t you build for me/ a sanctuary/ a place for us to be,” he later sings. “And if I go/ and if I stay/when you look back/and you move into the day/ listen to these words/let me guide you on your way. I just want to be the oars in your boat along the way.”
The cover art for Matisyahu’s new song “Basi L’gani.” Photo: Sosha Bentolila.
Born Matthew Paul Miller, Matisyahu grew up in White Plains in Westchester County, outside of New York City, and went to yeshiva in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. He used to go from his yeshiva to perform at clubs and then return back to the school. He currently lives in New York with his family.
Since the start of his career, the father of six has been singing about wanting Moshiach now (“King Without a Crown”), for there to be no more wars (“One Day”) and his connection to Israel (“Jerusalem”). His more recent songs address antisemitism (“Ascent”) and he repeats the phrase “Am Israel Chai” (“The nation of Israel lives”) in his most recent song “The Fathers Live” with Remedy.
Matisyahu admitted that he has not done much songwriting since the start of the Gaza war but is hoping to get back to it again soon.
“I’m interested to start writing again,” he told The Algemeiner. “Obviously there is a lot to say, a lot of intensity, a lot of inspiration, and a lot going on. The next batch of songs is gonna probably be a bit more on the intense side, kind of like ‘Ascent’ and ‘Father’s Live’ … I wanna be releasing music constantly now. The idea of writing 20 songs and holding them for a year, and then releasing a whole album, is a little bit of an old school way of doing things. So from this point on, starting with ‘Basligani,’ I’m going to be releasing a song every three weeks or so. I’ll do that for about 15 songs and then I’ll start my writing process again.”
When asked what will inspire his new music, he said life experiences and “in particular what’s happened with the Jewish people and Israel, the hostages being released, and all those images we see of those girls being paraded through Gaza. All that stuff builds up like a well inside of me, and when I’m writing my rhymes, a lot of that stuff is going to come out now.”
At The Algemeiner‘s 11th annual “J100” gala last month, where Matisyahu was honored with the “Warrior For Truth” award, he spoke about reconnecting with his Jewish identity and faith after the deadly Hamas terrorist attack on Oct. 7, 2023.
Matisyahu has a son who lives in Israel and said his second son might be moving there as well. The singer has visited the Jewish state twice since the Hamas atrocities. During one visit, he filmed the music video for “Ascent” at communities in southern Israel infiltrated by Hamas-led Palestinian terrorists during the Oct. 7 attack and at the site of the Nova music festival massacre, where 364 people were killed. The music video also features footage from the attack, including clips of the abductions of Shiri Bibas with her children, and some scenes show Matisyahu with relatives of hostages held in the Gaza Strip.
Since the start of the war, Matisyahu has performed shows in Israel for soldiers in the Israel Defense Forces and at a benefit concert to support the families of the hostages. He met personally with families of hostages and survivors of the attack at the Nova music festival, and visited communities ravaged by Hamas-led terrorists on Oct. 7. He told The Algemeiner that visiting Israel during the war was “an extremely powerful experience” that impacted what his focus has been over the last year.
“I’m feeling a sort of responsibility to speak out about, sing about it, and remind people what’s going on. After speaking with those people and hearing their stories firsthand and experiencing the emotion with those people, that changes you and it really affected me,” he said.
“Israel has always been a special place to me, but obviously now more than ever,” the musician added. “I feel this very deep connection to Israel and Israelis. In times past, maybe there has been more of a separation or a cultural disconnect … but I’ve always loved going. I’ve always loved the people. It’s always felt like home. It’s that special feeling that a Jew has when they go to Israel of just feeling surrounded by family and we don’t feel that anywhere else in the world. Especially now, how much more powerful is that — to have a place, to have a family, a country, and really this strong interconnectedness and support for each other. For a long time for me it’s felt like real Judaism is happening in Israel.”
Photo: Provided
The “Fireproof” singer has been vocal in the past about how his solidarity with Israel and the Jewish people has negatively impacted his career in the last 16 months. He has talked about being dropped by his manager and having a number of his scheduled concerts canceled because of his support for the Jewish state. Mere days after the Oct. 7 Hamas attack, he criticized celebrities for being “too afraid” to voice support for Israel because of how it might affect their social image or career. Even before the war, he has faced backlash from supporters of the boycott, divestment, and sanctions (BDS)movement against Israel.
Still, he said he never thought to stay silent about his solidarity with Israel, even if it would be safer for his career.
“In my career, which has been like over 20, I’ve very rarely taken the safe route,” he said. “For example, shaving my beard, a lot of people thought, ‘Well that’s how everyone knows you and it’s your image.’ But it was irrelevant to me because I’ve always believed in myself, my art, and my music, and I have to do what’s important and authentic to me. And being Jewish and my love of Israel has really been at the core of who I am for quite some time. It’s a big part of who Matisyahu is.”
“When I decided to not be as religious and to shave my beard, to me that wasn’t becoming less Jewish,” he explained. “Just like I stepped into the religion — I wasn’t raised that way — I’ve always just tried to be fluid with what I feel and what feels real to me. The second Oct. 7 happened, I knew immediately that I was going to be outspoken and lean into my Jewish-ness; lean into that zealot Matisyahu, punk rock, Hasidic spirit, because it’s a big part of who I am.”
Matisyahu was raised in a household that followed Reconstructionist Judaism. He later decided to start living a Hasidic lifestyle, and at the start of his musical career, he had a long beard, sidelocks, and wore a yarmulke on stage. In 2011, however, he posted a photo on social media showing himself clean shaven and without a yarmulke, along with the caption: “No more Hassidic reggae superstar.”
In 2014, Matisyahu spoke to The Algemeiner about his religious transformation and decision to step away from the Hasidic movement, saying it was simply a “natural progression” taking place in his life. He also said it was hurtful to see how some people stopped being a fan of his music simply because he no longer looked like a Hasidic Orthodox Jew. He said at the time: “It was really hard for me because it turns out these people were not really fans of my music.”
When asked if his current advocacy of Israel has impacted his fanbase, Matisyahu said, “I think I still have those core fans who may or may not be Jewish … But I definitely feel a much stronger support from the Jewish community and from Jews feeling how important it is to be outspoken, defending Jews. A lot of people really deeply respect that, and a lot of those people have either come back to a show or maybe have listened to some of the newer music when they may not have listened to me for years and years. And I welcome it.”
The singer continued, “It’s nice to feel that connection again with Jews, and unfortunately, it’s weird how it takes sometimes something really bad to happen to bring us together. But I feel the support and it feels nice.”
Matisyahu said that leaning into Judaism “in a big way” has helped him cope with antisemitism, and that it’s been “soothing for the soul.” In the last year, he stopped playing concerts on Friday night in honor of Shabbat and started putting on tefillin “from time to time.” He also tries to respect Shabbat by lighting candles on Friday night or spending time with family and turning off his cellphone. Another thing that has been helpful in combating antisemitism is “being around other Jews,” he noted.
“And the art — having the outlet of the music, the writing, and performing,” Matisyahu added. “Having an outlet to express myself — my feelings, my pain, hope, and joy. All of it. Not everyone is a singer, but everyone has something that they can be creative and pour their emotions into.”
“We have to acknowledge that we’re broken, we’re hurt, that this has been a painful experience and it’s not over,” he explained. “At the same time, [there’s] the joy of the hostages coming back and the way that the nation of Israel and the Jewish people have come together.”
The post Matisyahu to Release New Song ‘Basi L’gani,’ Discusses Return to Writing Music and Israel Feeling ‘Like Home’ first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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‘Valid For All Countries Except Israel’
US passport. Photo: Pixabay.
JNS.org – There’s an unwritten rule among governments in many Muslim countries—when things go wrong at home, turn on the State of Israel.
Bangladesh, one of the poorest and most densely populated countries in Asia, provides the latest example of this tactic. Last week, the authorities in Dhaka announced that they were reintroducing what is essentially a disclaimer on the passports issued to its citizens: “Valid for all countries except Israel.” That shameful inscription was abandoned in 2021 by the government of recently ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, although it was never followed up with diplomatic outreach to Israel, much less recognition of the Jewish state’s right to a peaceful and sovereign existence.
The rationale for the move in 2021 was that Bangladeshi passports had to be brought up to date with international standards. However, the war in the Gaza Strip triggered by the Hamas pogrom in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, has apparently canceled out that imperative.
“For many years, our passports carried the ‘except Israel’ clause. But the previous government suddenly removed it,” Brig. Gen. Mohammad Nurus Salam, passports director at the Department of Immigration, told the Arab News. Somewhat disingenuously, he added: “We were used to seeing ‘except Israel’ written in our passports. I don’t know why they took it out. If you talk to people across the country, you’ll see they want that line back in their passports. There was no need to remove it.”
It’s been 25 years since I was in Bangladesh, where I spent several months as a BBC consultant assisting with the launch of the country’s first private TV news station. One of the aspects that struck me profoundly—in contrast to Salam’s claim that the people want their passports to preclude travel to Israel—was the lack of hostility towards Israel among the many Bangladeshis I met and worked with, and I have no reason to believe that this attitude has fundamentally shifted. Most Bangladeshis are consumed by their own country’s vast problems, and the distant Israeli-Palestinian conflict does not impinge in any way on the resolution of those.
When I told people that I was Jewish, had family in Israel and had spent a great deal of time there, the most common response was curiosity. For the great majority, I was the first Jew they had ever met, and they eagerly quizzed me about the Jewish religion, often noting the overlaps with Islamic practices, such as circumcision and the prohibition on consuming pork.
“What is Israel like? What are the people like?” was a conversation I engaged in on more than one occasion. I remember with great affection a journalist called Salman, a devout Muslim who invited me to his home for an iftar meal during Ramadan. Salman was convinced that there were still a couple of Jews living in Bangladesh, and he combed Dhaka trying to find them so that he could introduce me (he never succeeded because there were no Jews there, but I appreciated his efforts.) I also remember members of the Hindu community, who compose about 8% of the population, drawing positive comparisons between Bangladesh’s Indian-backed 1971 War of Independence against Muslim Pakistan and Israel’s own War of Independence in 1947-48.
To understand why Bangladesh has taken this regressive decision requires a hard look at its domestic politics. In August of last year, the government of Sheikh Hasina—the daughter of independence leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the dominant political figure over the past 30 years—was overthrown following a wave of protest against its well-documented corruption, discriminatory practices and judicial interference. Her downfall was accompanied by a surge of sectarian violence against Hindu homes, businesses and temples, with more than 2,000 incidents recorded over a two-week period. In the eyes of many, Hindus were associated with Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League Party, and the violence against them suggested that Islamist positions were making headway in a country that flew the banner of secular nationalism in its bid to win freedom from Pakistani rule.
The passport decision can be viewed in a similar light: Bangladesh asserting its identity as a Muslim country standing in solidarity with the Palestinians, the Islamic world’s pre-eminent cause, at the same time as breaking with the legacy of Sheikh Hasina’s rule. Yet that stance will not alleviate the fiscal misery of Bangladeshi citizens, with more than one in four people living below the poverty line. Nor will it address the chronic infrastructure problems that plague the country’s foreign trade, or tackle the bureaucracy and red tape that crushes entrepreneurship and innovation.
In short, supporting the Palestinians brings no material benefits for ordinary Bangladeshis, who would doubtless gain from a genuine relationship with Israel that would introduce, among many other advantages, more efficient water technology to counter the presence of arsenic and the lack of sanitation that often renders Bangladesh’s large reserves of water unusable and undrinkable.
Even so, ideology and Muslim identity may not be the only explanations for the Bangladeshi decision. It can also be seen as a gesture towards Qatar, the wealthiest country in the Islamic world, which has artfully cultivated trade and diplomatic ties with a slew of less developed countries, Bangladesh included. Last year, Qatar’s ruler, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, paid a two-day state to Bangladesh that showcased Doha’s contributions in the form of bilateral trade worth $3 billion as well as millions of dollars in Qatari grants for school and higher education. Such largesse on the part of the Qataris is a critical means of ensuring that governments in Bangladesh and other Muslim nations stay away from the Abraham Accords countries that have made a peace of sorts with Israel.
Bangladesh is not, of course, the only country to prevent its citizens from traveling to Israel or denying entry to Israeli passport holders. A few days after the Bangladeshi decision, the Maldives—another Muslim country that enjoys close relations with Qatar—announced that Israelis would no longer be permitted to visit. None of these bans is likely to be lifted as long as Israel is at war with the Hamas terrorists in Gaza, Iran’s regional proxies and the Iranian regime itself.
The ripple effects of that war—antisemitic violence in Western countries, cold-shouldering of Israel by countries without a direct stake in the conflict—will continue to be felt. None of that changes the plain fact that this remains a war that Israel must win.
The post ‘Valid For All Countries Except Israel’ first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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US, Iran Set for Second Round of Nuclear Talks as Iranian FM Warns Against ‘Unrealistic Demands’
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi attends a press conference following a meeting with Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow, Russia, April 18, 2025. Tatyana Makeyeva/Pool via REUTERS
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said a deal could be reached during Saturday’s second round of nuclear negotiations in Rome if the United States does not make “unrealistic demands.”
In a joint press conference with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, Araghchi said that Washington showed “partial seriousness” during the first round of nuclear talks in Oman last week.
The Iranian top diplomat traveled to Moscow on Thursday to deliver a letter from Iran’s so-called Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, briefing Russian President Vladimir Putin on the ongoing nuclear talks with the White House.
“Their willingness to enter serious negotiations that address the nuclear issue only, without entering into other issues, can lead us towards constructive negotiations,” Araghchi said during the joint press conference in Moscow on Friday.
“As I have said before, if unreasonable, unrealistic and impractical demands are not made, an agreement is possible,” he continued.
Tehran has previously rejected halting its uranium enrichment program, insisting that the country’s right to enrich uranium is non-negotiable, despite Washington’s threats of military actions, additional sanctions, and tariffs if an agreement is not reached to curb the country’s nuclear activities.
On Tuesday, US special envoy Steve Witkoff said that any deal with Iran must require the complete dismantling of its “nuclear enrichment and weaponization program” — reversing his earlier comments, in which he indicated that the White House would allow Tehran to enrich uranium to a 3.67 percent threshold for a “civil nuclear program.”
During the press conference, Araghchi also announced he would attend Saturday’s talks in Rome, explaining that negotiations with the US are being held indirectly due to recent threats and US President Donald Trump’s “maximum pressure” campaign against Tehran — which aims to cut the country’s crude exports to zero and prevent it from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
“Indirect negotiations are not something weird and an agreement is within reach through this method,” Araghchi said.
He also indicated that Iran expects Russia to play a role in any potential agreement with Washington, noting that the two countries have held frequent and close consultations on Tehran’s nuclear program in the past.
“We hope Russia will play a role in a possible deal,” Araghchi said during the press conference.
As an increasingly close ally of Iran, Moscow could play a crucial role in Tehran’s nuclear negotiations with the West, leveraging its position as a veto-wielding member of the UN Security Council and a signatory to a now-defunct 2015 nuclear deal that imposed limits on the Iranian nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief.
Known formally as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), Trump withdrew the US from the deal in 2018.
Since then, even though Tehran has denied wanting to develop a nuclear weapon, the UN’s nuclear watchdog – the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) – has warned that Iran has “dramatically” accelerated uranium enrichment to up to 60 percent purity, close to the roughly 90 percent weapons-grade level and enough to build six nuclear bombs.
During the press conference on Friday, Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov said that “Russia is ready to facilitate the negotiation process between Iran and the US regarding Tehran’s nuclear program.”
Moscow has previously said that any military strike against Iran would be “illegal and unacceptable.”
Russia’s diplomatic role in the ongoing negotiations could also be important, as the country has recently solidified its growing partnership with the Iranian regime.
On Wednesday, Russia’s upper house of parliament ratified a 20-year strategic partnership agreement with Iran, strengthening military ties between the two countries.
Despite Tehran’s claims that its nuclear program is solely for civilian purposes rather than weapon development, Western states have said there is no “credible civilian justification” for the country’s recent nuclear activity, arguing it “gives Iran the capability to rapidly produce sufficient fissile material for multiple nuclear weapons.”
The post US, Iran Set for Second Round of Nuclear Talks as Iranian FM Warns Against ‘Unrealistic Demands’ first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Reps. Dan Goldman and Chris Smith Issue Statement Condemning Shapiro Arson Attack As ‘Textbook Antisemitism’
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) holds a rally in support of US Vice President Kamala Harris’ Democratic presidential election campaign in Ambler, Pennsylvania, US, July 29, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Rachel Wisniewski
Rep. Dan Goldman (D-NY) and Rep. Chris Smith (D-NJ) issued a statement condemning the recent arson attack against Gov. Josh Shapiro (D-PA) as a form of “textbook antisemitism.”
“Governor Shapiro is the Governor of Pennsylvania and has nothing to do with Israel’s foreign policy, yet he was targeted as an American Jew by a radicalized extremist who blames the Governor for Israel’s actions. That is textbook antisemitism,” the statement read.
Shapiro’s residence, the Pennsylvania governor’s mansion, was set ablaze on Sunday morning, hours after the governor hosted a gathering to celebrate the first night of the Jewish holiday of Passover. Shapiro said that he, his wife, and his children were awakened by state troopers knocking on their door at 2 am. The governor and his family immediately evacuated the premises and were unscathed.
Goldman and Smith added that the arson attack against Shapiro serves as “a bitter reminder that persecution of Jews continues.” The duo claimed that they “strongly condemn this antisemitic violence” and called on the suspect to “be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”
Pennsylvania State Police said that the suspect, Cody Balmer set fire to Shapiro’s residence over the alleged ongoing “injustices to the people of Palestine” and Shapiro’s Jewish faith.
According to an arrest warrant, Balmer called 911 prior to the attack and told emergency operators that he “will not take part in [Shapiro’s] plans for what he wants to do to the Palestinian people,” and demanded that the governor “stop having my friends killed.”
The suspect continued, telling operators, “Our people have been put through too much by that monster.”
Balmer later revealed to police that he planned to beat Shapiro with a sledgehammer if he encountered him after gaining access into his residence, according to authorities.
He was subsequently charged with eight crimes by authorities, including serious felonies such as attempted homicide, terrorism, and arson. The suspect faces potentially 100 years in jail. He has been denied bail.
Shapiro, a practicing Jew, has positioned himself as a staunch supporter of Israel. In the days following Hamas’s brutal slaughter of roughly 1,200 people across southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, Shapiro issued statements condemning the Palestinian terrorist group and gave a speech at a local synagogue. The governor also ordered the US and Pennsylvania Commonwealth flags to fly at half-mast outside the state capitol to honor the victims.
Shapiro’s strident support of the Jewish state in the wake of Oct. 7 also incensed many pro-Palestinian activists, resulting in the governor being dubbed “Genocide Josh” by far-left demonstrators.
US Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (NY) chimed in on the arson attack Thursday, urging the Justice Department to launch a federal investigation, claiming that the incident could be motivated by antisemitism.
Schumer argued that the arson attack targeting Shapiro, who is Jewish, left the Pennsylvania governor’s family in “anguish” and warned that it could serve as an example of “rising antisemitic violence” within the United States. He stressed that a federal investigation and hate crime charges may be necessary to uphold the “fundamental values of religious freedom and public safety.”
Thus far, Shapiro has refused to blame the attack on antisemitism, despite the suspect’s alleged comments repudiating the governor over his support for Israel. The governor has stressed the importance of allowing prosecutors to determine whether the attack constitutes a hate crime.
The post Reps. Dan Goldman and Chris Smith Issue Statement Condemning Shapiro Arson Attack As ‘Textbook Antisemitism’ first appeared on Algemeiner.com.