Page - 146 - in JRFM - Journal Religion Film Media, Volume 06/01

At two points in the ceremony, a band plays. The choice of both singer and songs is symbolical. The singer, Chagit Yasso (fig. 7), is the daughter of Jewish immigrants from Ethiopia, whence they fled and were “saved” by Israel. The two songs are “Hal- lelujah” by Leonard Cohen50 and “May Peace Yet Come to Us All” by Mosh Ben Ari51, an Israeli artist. Both songs are sung half in English and half in Hebrew. The songs underline the message conveyed by the speeches. “Hallelujah” contains referenc- es to the biblical King David and it too emphasizes the 3,000 years of Jerusalem’s Jewish history and the legitimizing continuity from King David to today’s State of Israel. “May Peace Yet Come to Us All” again relates the event to a promised peace, underlining its beneficial character. Moreover, music is part of religious worship and arouses emotion. Almost all of the speakers – religious figures and politicians alike – ask for God´s blessing at the end of their speeches, suggesting God’s participation, perhaps even that God has brought about this event. Turning to the medial representation, we observe a play with closeness and dis- tance. Camera settings showing the speakers (fig. 8) are interspersed with settings that show the audience. Additionally, wide settings that show the whole audience 50 TIME 2018, (00:31:20–00:35:18). 51 TIME 2018, (01:13:30 – 01:16:35). Fig. 7: Chagit Yasso, U. S. Opens New Embassy in Jerusalem After Trump’s Decision to Recognize Capital (TIME 2018, 00:35:05). Jerusalem between Political Interests and Religious Promise | 145www.jrfm.eu 2020, 6/1, 127–151