Saleh and Daoud Al-Kuwaity - Life in Israel

Life in Israel

Throughout their career, the brothers never hid their Jewish identity. They made use of their fame and fortune to help the Jewish community in Iraq, both with material aid for the needy and with influence in the political establishment when necessary. In the beginning of the 1950s, they decided to flee persecution in Iraq and join the big wave of emigration from Iraq to the newly reestablished Israel. In spite of their wealth and of the wide range of possibilities before them Saleh and Daud had to leave everything behind. They emigrated to the young Jewish state without using their connections to gain permission to take their property with them.

Saleh and Daud's status in Iraq was of no use to them when faced with the difficulties of finding their place in Israel. Their welcome in the new country was harsh, and due to the mass flight of Jews from Arab regimes they were sent first to live in a temporary tent camp in Beer Yaakov. Later they moved to the Hatikva quarter of Tel Aviv, where they would play in the Noah café. Upon their arrival Saleh and Daud began playing and performing also in the Arab channel of "The Voice of Israel" (Israeli radio), soon becoming two of its leaders. They performed as guest soloists with the Arabic orchestra of the Israeli Radio led by Zuzu Mussa. For many years they gave a regular live radio performance, with thousands of people in Israel and millions in Iraq and Kuwait listening. Thanks to the Israel Broadcasting Authority, dozens of songs they wrote and composed in Israel became hits in the Arab world. Despite leaving their homeland, and the state of war between Israel and the Arab world, the radio in Kuwait and Iraq kept on broadcasting their music – denying them credit thru omission of their name, their Jewish identity, and the fact that Israel gave them refuge.