Current sectionArt & CultureShare to FacebookShare to XArticle printing is available to subscribers onlyPrint in a simple, ad-free formatSubscribeComments: Zen reading is available to subscribers onlyAd-free and in a comfortable reading formatSubscribeElyanna in the video for her song "Illuminate." Credit: Screengrab from FIFA's YouTube channelShe opened for Coldplay, appeared on 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert' and is now gearing up for the FIFA World Cup's opening ceremony. Yet critics disagree on the example Palestinian singer Elyanna is setting as one of the world's top Arab pop stars06:48 PM • May 22 2026 IDT"I'm living the dream," singer Elyanna told the audience when she took the stage as the warm-up act for Coldplay in January 2025. "It's a great honor to be here tonight, to speak and sing in Arabic and share my culture," she said in Abu Dhabi, the Emirati capital. "I want us all to pray for hope, for light, for peace. To pray for Palestine, Lebanon, the Middle East and the whole world."In the News'Dressed as non-Muslim': Palestinian Star Elyanna Sparks Acclaim and ControversyIsraeli Crowdfunder Drops Hebrew Sally Rooney Campaign Over WB Delivery BoycottBDS, but Not as You Know It: Sally Rooney Knows How to Identify a 'Good Israeli'Sally Rooney Still Boycotts Israel. So Why Is Her New Book Coming Out in Hebrew?They've Lived in Israel for 20 Years. They Still Have No HomeRemembering and rebuilding two years laterICYMIICC Prosecutor Seeks Warrants for Ben-Gvir, Smotrich, Other Israeli OfficialsBen-Gvir Posts Video of Police Dragging Detained Gaza Flotilla ActivistsThe Most Consequential Republican Primary for Israel Is Happening in KentuckyIsraeli Settler Filmed Abusing Palestinian-owned Dog in West BankUnmoved by Trump's Ticking Clock, Iran Forms a New Reality in the Persian Gulf`World Leaders Summon Israeli Envoys Over Ben-Gvir Gaza Flotilla Activists Video