CA Country Anthems

Israel National Anthem History

Hatikvah · הַתִּקְוָה

"Hatikvah," meaning "The Hope," originated from Naftali Herz Imber's 1878 poem and Shmuel Cohen's 1888 arrangement of a folk melody. It was adopted as the anthem of Zionism in 1897 and became Israel's national anthem shortly after the state's founding.

Israel Hatikvah

Israel

Language
Hebrew
Anthem
Hatikvah
Duration
1:14
Status
"Hatikvah" has been in continuous use as Israel's national anthem since soon after the country's founding in modern history.

History timeline

  1. 1878

    Naftali Herz Imber writes the nine-stanza poem “Tikavatenu,” from which the anthem's lyrics are derived.

  2. 1888

    Shmuel Cohen arranges the melody, likely based on a Romanian folk song, giving it its distinctive form.

  3. 1897

    At the First Zionist Congress, "Hatikvah" is officially adopted as the anthem of the Zionist movement.

  4. Mid-20th Century

    Lyrics undergo revisions, changing the focus from a hope to 'return to Zion' to living as a 'free nation there'.

  5. 1948

    "Hatikvah" is adopted as the national anthem of the newly established State of Israel soon after its founding.

Its melody is notably in a minor key, which is a rare characteristic among national anthems globally.