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In order to understand the following Latma parody, you need know the original song on which it was based, “Winter 1973”, written by Shmuel Hasfari (formerly in Betar and DOV but for years gone far-left) and put to music by Uri Widislavski and first performed by an IDF educational entertainment group. It refers to the recruits of 1990-91 who were born in 1973 when, after the Yom Kippur War, a Yehoram Gaon song promised “this will be the very last war”. See complete lyrics below.
It was lifted from Yael Meir’s poem. Yael resided in Ramat HaMagshimin in 1973-74. The song rips into the politicians who were interested in a Nobel Prize and left the population to die at the rate of two a day since then, after disengagement, withdrawal, suicide bombers, qassam rockets, etc.
Hasfari is considered one of Israel’s leading playwrights. He won an Ophir Award for best director for his 1994 film, Sh’Chur. It was also the 1994 official Israeli submission for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.
His play, Isha. Ba-al. Bayit (The Master of the House) won a 2003 Award for Best Play in Israel,. While still running at the Cameri Theater, it had its American premiere at the Laguna Playhouse in March 2007, directed by Richard Stein.
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The song was written in 1995 about the Yom Kippur war.
It was sung first in 95 on the eve of Yom Ha’atzmaut.
Since then it is often sung at Yom Hazikaron.
We are the children of winter 1973
You dreamt us first at dawn at the end of the battles
You were tired men that thanked their good luck
You were worried young women and you wanted so much to love
When you conceived us with love in winter 1973
You wanted to fill up with your bodies that what the war finished
And we were born the country was wounded and sad
You looked at us you hugged us you were trying to find comfort
When we were born the elders blessed with tears in their eyes
They said:” we wish those kids will not have to go to the army”
And your faces in the old picture prove
That you said it form the bottom of your hearts
When you promised to do every thing for us
To make an enemy into a loved one
You promised a dove,
an olive tree leaf,
you promised peace
You promised spring at home and blossoms
You promised to fulfill promises, you promised a dove
We are the children of winter 1973
We grew up and now in the army
with our weapon and helmet on our heads
We know how to make love to laugh and cry
We are men we are women
and we too dream about babies
This is why we will not pressure you we will demand of you
And we will not threaten you
When we were young you said promises need to be kept
We will give you strength if that is what you need
We will not hold back
We are the children of that winter in the year 1973
You promised a dove,
an olive tree leaf,
you promised peace
You promised spring at home and blossoms
You promised to fulfill promises,
you promised a dove