In a striking critique of global politics and human rights issues, Bassem Youssef and Amjad Al-Nour have launched a satirical song that confronts the actions of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
On October 7, Youssef and Sudanese filmmaker Amjad Al-Nour, also an Al Jazeera journalist, released “Bibi’s Trial,” a song that takes aim at Netanyahu’s alleged crimes against humanity and highlights the U.S. role in downplaying these actions.
The release date marked the one-year anniversary of Hamas’ attack on Israel, followed by Israel’s full-scale military response in Gaza.
The song depicts an imaginary trial at the International Criminal Court where Netanyahu stands accused. Youssef, recognized for his sharp political satire, portrays the judge and delivers a dramatic guilty verdict.
However, the courtroom dynamics shift as Al-Nour’s character, a U.S. lawyer, manipulates the trial, persuading both the jury and the audience to support Netanyahu.
This scenario offers a clever commentary on international politics, portraying the entire courtroom, including Youssef as the judge, as puppets under the influence of the American lawyer, who represents U.S. dominance by waving flags and performing a symbolic dance to express submission.
The lyrics serve as a scathing indictment of how the United States has consistently shielded Israel from facing consequences for its military operations in Gaza and the larger Palestinian territories.
Directed by Bassel Nasser and produced by Ali Shehata and Yousef Al-Shemari, “Bibi’s Trial” has quickly gained popularity on social media, receiving hundreds of thousands of likes.
While it isn’t available on music streaming platforms like Spotify, the music video is trending on YouTube.