Two Israeli performers have been accused of copying scenes “frame by frame” from Palestinian-Chilean star Elyanna’s 2024 hit Ganeni.
Zahara, released on August 4, is a collaboration between Gal Juma and Asulin. Less than two weeks later, Elyanna fan accounts began sharing videos that placed scenes from the two productions side by side.
The allegations have since spread across culture and entertainment pages on Instagram, Facebook and Threads, drawing thousands of comments. As the comparisons have gathered momentum, many commenters described the alleged similarities as an example of Israeli appropriation of Palestinian and Arab culture.
Posts repeatedly highlight a desert sequence in which a white Mercedes is surrounded by patterned rugs. Both videos also show the car’s interior covered in elaborate fabrics and decorations.
Other similarities cited include rooftop dance scenes and shots of figures silhouetted against the setting sun. An eye painted on a performer’s palm appears in both productions, while each video includes shots of musicians and uses similar framing during several dance sequences.
Although the videos differ elsewhere, the posts identify several closely matched images rather than one shared location or a broadly similar desert aesthetic. The criticism concerns the video rather than the music, as the songs have different compositions and lyrics.
Zahara pairs Hebrew and Arabic lyrics with a 2000s-inspired R&B beat and violins. Juma and Asulin perform together in the video and are both credited among the songwriters. Asulin is the stage name of Israeli singer-songwriter and producer Rotem Alagem Asulin, who previously released music as J Lamotta.
The video was directed and filmed by Bruce Melan, and had about one million views on YouTube by Friday.
Ganeni was released on April 12, 2024, with Elyanna’s debut album, Woledto. Directed by Naghmeh Pour and filmed in Spain, its video has more than 200 million views on YouTube.
The reaction has also reached Juma’s Instagram page, where users have accused the performers of making a “copy-paste” version of Ganeni beneath several posts promoting Zahara.
As of Friday, neither Juma nor Asulin had publicly addressed the accusations. Elyanna has also not commented, and no formal copyright complaint had been announced.
The National has reached out to Elyanna for comment.
Elyanna, 24, was born and raised in Nazareth. In 2023, she became the first artist to perform a complete Arabic-language set at Coachella. She later joined Coldplay at Glastonbury and appeared with the band on Saturday Night Live.
Earlier this year, she performed at a ceremony before Canada’s opening World Cup match in Toronto and featured on the Fifa tournament’s official soundtrack with Illuminate, a collaboration with Canadian singer-songwriter Jessie Reyez.
