Trump’s ambassadors drop cringe-fest music video for ‘Greater Israel’

It opens and continues like a total parody, but they meant every word.

“Torah scrolls keep on turning, just two days and we are through. Then we start from the beginning. Hashem’s holy words begin anew.

"Sweet home Yerushalayim, where God’s words ring so true. Sweet home Yerushalayim. Lord, I’m coming home to you.”

Those are the opening lines of “Sweet Home Yerushalayim,” a newly minted anthem performed by US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, the previous ambassador to Israel David Friedman, and comedian Elon Gold. 

The tune adapts Lynyrd Skynyrd’s Sweet Home Alabama to promote the concept of “Greater Israel”. 

The performance took place during Sukkot, the Jewish festival celebrating harvest and unity, at an event organised by United Hatzalah of Israel, the volunteer emergency-response group.

Its founder and president, Eli Beer, posted the video to his official Instagram account less than 48 hours ago - and the cringe has been rippling across the internet ever since.

Filmed in Jerusalem, with biblical images playing in the background, the video shows Friedman on guitar, Huckabee on bass guitar, and Gold on vocals beneath spotlights and Israeli flags. 

The lyrics go on to praise US President Donald Trump’s decision to move the US embassy to Jerusalem, and even take a swipe at “France and friends” and “the United Nations” for “doubting” Israel’s biblical claim to the land.

But people online were quick to point out that the song was complaining about the fact that the United Nations has recognised Israel’s two-year assault on Gaza as an act of genocide, resulting in the killing of over 67,000 people.

One social media user said that “they turned genocide into a concert” while calling the song “the soundtrack to a nation dancing on the graves it dug”.

They turned genocide into a concert.

“Americans” Mike Huckabee and David Friedman just debuted “Sweet Home Yerushalayim” — a reworked version of Sweet Home Alabama performed onstage in Israel, complete with pyrotechnics and a live band.

A spectacle of smoke and… pic.twitter.com/5d363jCOVA

— ZirafaMedia™ (@ZirafaMedia) October 14, 2025

The lyrics of the song also say, “Many say we have no capital, though we’re here for 3,000 years,” which, for some online, instantly reminded people of Trump’s gaffe about the recent Gaza peace deal: "This took 3,000 years to get to this point, can you believe it? And it's going to hold up."

Some criticised the out-of-tune instruments, the vocalist, and the general awkwardness of the video, likening the whole ensemble to the pro-Israel right. 

The out of tune instruments
The horrendous singing
The crowd refusing to join in
The impotent indignation of the lyrics
Mike Huckabee pretending to play base

This video perfectly encapsulates the state of the pro Israel right. pic.twitter.com/9krtnb2Hkk

— Neoliberal Shill🦧 (@NeoliberalShell) October 14, 2025

Even some fans of Trump’s Israel policies admitted the video was hard to sit through. One pro-Israel user said, “I can’t keep a straight face” while watching the video.

Look I love America, I love Israel, they're my two homes... I'm not keeping a straight face during "Sweet Home Yarushalayim" pic.twitter.com/Kgk7Bwfhgo

— Sarah 🍌📟 (@sarahlol1863603) October 14, 2025

The video was also posted on the YouTube channel of United Hatzalah of Israel, where the comment section was filled with sarcastic quips like “From the river to the sea, Alabama will be free” and “Crazy how they managed to kill Lynyrd Skynyrd a 2nd time.”

One person said, “This looks like something a shitposter would create as a parody video, but it’s not,” which was a sentiment shared by many online.

This looks like something a shitposter would create as a parody video, but it's not.

Eli Beer, founder and president of United Hatzalah of Israel, posted it to his official Instagram account less than 48 hours ago. https://t.co/RSDQQKZ4Io

— Decensored News (@decensorednews) October 14, 2025

Both Huckabee and Friedman are outspoken supporters of Trump’s Middle East policies, often crediting themselves for shaping the Abraham Accords. But “Sweet Home Yerushalayim” - complete with guitar solos and televangelist energy - has turned them into unlikely viral musicians of the week.

Huckabee has frequently attacked European states on social media for recognising Palestine while praising Arab states that called on Hamas to disarm.

He also suggested "Muslim countries" should give up some of their land to create a future Palestinian state: "So maybe, if there is such a desire for the Palestinian state, there would be someone who would say, we'd like to host it."