Fez – British protest singer Billy Bragg has released a new track titled “Hundred Year Hunger” in solidarity with Palestinians and the humanitarian flotilla carrying aid to Gaza.
The track criticizes Israel’s illegal blockade for Gaza, and the food insecurity that Palestinians have faced over the century. In a post on Instagram, he wrote that the song “looks at the current famine that Israel has created in Gaza through the lens of a century of enforced food insecurity and malnutrition imposed on the Palestinian people, firstly by British imperialism, then as a weapon of mass displacement by the state of Israel,” Bragg said on an Instagram post.
The song features a chorus in Arabic, including the words “Sumud” — meaning “steadfastness” — and “Lan narhal,” or “we will not leave.” Bragg explained that the phrases represent Palestinians’ nonviolent resistance and their determination to remain on their land despite hardship and displacement.
The song’s release coincided with the departure of a humanitarian flotilla from Barcelona on Monday. The mission, which includes climate activist Greta Thunberg – who has sailed on past flotillas – seeks to “break the illegal siege of Gaza” by delivering aid and establishing a humanitarian corridor, organizers said. The flotilla is expected to arrive in mid-September, though previous attempts to reach Gaza by sea have been blocked by Israel.
Bragg, 66, has long been known for using music as a vehicle for social and political causes. He said proceeds from the track will support food relief and medical aid in Gaza through the Amos Trust.
Alongside the single, Bragg announced a benefit concert titled “Days Like These,” set for September 20 at London’s O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire. The event will feature artists including Jamie Webster, Billy Nomates, Reverend and the Makers, Antony Szmierek, and Big Special. All proceeds will go toward humanitarian support for Gaza as it faced genocide at the hands of Israel.
Bragg has frequently defended freedom of expression. Earlier this year, he supported Irish rap trio Kneecap after member Liam Og O hAnnaidh was charged with a terrorism offense. At the time, Bragg described the case as part of a “disturbing trend” of states attempting to criminalize creative expression.
With “Hundred Year Hunger,” the artist continues his decades-long tradition of protest music, aligning his voice with a growing international movement calling for relief and justice for Palestinians.
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