RADIO

Israel’s Army Radio has restricted air play for a new pop song by one of the country’s leading female vocalists, Nurit Galron, because its lyrics allegedly sympathize with Palestinian nationalists. “After Us, the Flood” juxtaposes the harsh reality of the Palestinian intifada uprising against the “business as usual” atmosphere in Tel Aviv. “There is a state in revolt, where wounds are bandaged,” Galron wrote in her lyrics, “and there is Tel Aviv partying, living, eating and drinking.” Army Radio broadcasts popular music, news and interview programs 24 hours a day, and, while many civilians tune in, the station operates within a military framework. After the song was initially broadcast last week, station manager Nahman Shai declared that the station has a commitment to Israeli soldiers who carry out government policy and ordered his staff to seek his approval before playing the song. By the weekend, “After Us, the Flood” had not been heard again on Army Radio, though it is being aired on other stations in Israel.