Subliminal was born in Tel Aviv, Israel to a mother from Mashhad, Iran and a father from Tunisia. Subliminal started performing music at age 12, and at age 15 met Yoav Eliasi, who would later become his performing partner under the name "The Shadow".

They became known as creators of "Zionist hip-hop", a label still applied to them. In further contrast to the generally rebellious, "outlaw" nature of most hip-hop, they also praise army service and eschew drugs and smoking.

Subliminal's being the son of Jewish refugees is at the core of his hard-line politics. "In Tunisia, my father grew up with his family locking all the doors and windows whenever performing a Jewish ceremony -- out of fear of attacks." Both parents, he says, "ran for their lives" to Israel, where they spent decades recovering from the persecution they had faced.

TIKVAH - Hebrew Lyrics

Ani raiti kama hem halchu
yoter midai mehem lo chazru
chaverim nif'redu, batim nishberu
dmaot shel mishpachot nishpechu

Nitsanim shel anashim, prachim shelo yifrechu
hatikvah berashenu, ahavah benafshenu,
hachalom beruchenu az le'ad namshich bedarkenu.

Ne'elmah la had'mamah, shuv kolot hamilchamah,
od chayal chozer atuf bemah? bedegel hamedinah
dam vedim'ah nisfagim ba'adamah
Od imah hamumah, nisharah lah rak tmunah,
t'tikvah balev noel, im chazak lo nitkapel,
ki lo nolad haben zonah sheya'atsor et yisrael.

Ten li t'tikvah lekabel ma she'ein
et hakoach leshanot ma sheken.

Bo'u namshich hachaim lefaneinu
lo meuchar ki machar yom chadash
hachalom yigava im ne'abed et hatikvah
az hoshitu yad l'ahavah.

Hevtachtem yonah, barakia yesh ayit,
achi, sarpad ra'il okets ze lo ale shel zait,
chaim bachalom, kulam medabrim al shalom
aval yurim, loch'tsim, mosh'chim, soch'tim, t'ha'edek
ba'olam shel piguim, anasim tmimim od medabrim
chaim be'ashlayat hatsedek,
hem marchivim ba'em et hasedek.

Over teruf yomyomi kdei lisrod,
lo rotseh lichyot kdei lehilachem,
s'av nilcham kdei lichyot
not'a tikvah, mesharish shorshim,
magen begufi al hachalom
shelo yitnapets lerasisim
dai, maspim im hake'ev maspik im hadramah
shanah ha'adamah medamemet lo nema, velamah?

Ten li t'atikvah lekabel ma she'ein
et hakoach leshanot ma sheken.

bou namshich hachaim lefaneinu
lo meuchar ki machar yom chadash
hachalom yegava im ne'abed et hatikvah
az hoshitu yad l'ahavah.

Elohim, ten li t'atikvah lekabel ma she'ein
et haomets lenasot letaken et haolam.

bou namshich hachaim lefaneinu
lo meuchar ki machar yom chadash
hachalom yegava im ne'abed et hatikvah
az hoshitu yad l'ahavah.

Elohim, ten li t'atikvah lekabel ma she'ein
Ten li et hakoach leshanot et ma sheken.
et haomets lenasot letaken et ha'olam.

Bou namshich hachaim lefaneinu
lo meuchar ki machar yom chadash
hachalom yegava im ne'abed et hatikvah
az hoshitu yad l'ahavah.

HOPE - English translation

I saw how many they went
Too many of them did not return
Friends separated, houses broken,
tears of families spilled

Buds of people flowers that didn't flower
The hope in our heads, the love in our hearts,
the dream in our spirits so we continue in our path.

The silence has disappeared for it, again sounds of war
Another soldier returns, wrapped in what? In the flag of the country
Blood and tears absorbed by the land
And another shocked mother is left with just a picture
The hope is locked in the heart, the strong nation will not fold over
Because the son of a bitch that can stop Israel has not been born.

Give me the hope to accept what there isn't 
The strength to change what there is.

Come let's continue, our life is in front of us
It's not late because tomorrow is a new day
The dream will perish if we lose the hope
So reach out to love. 

You promised a dove, in the sky there's a hawk
Brother, poisonous twig pricks, this is not an olive branch
Living in a dream, everybody talks about peace
But they shoot, oppress, pull, squeeze the trigger
In a world of suicide attacks, the people are still talking
Living in an illusion of righteousness,
they widen the rift in the nation.

Pass madness every day in order to survive
Don't want to live in order to fight,
Sub fights in order to live
Plant hope, sends out roots
Shield in my body for the dream
so it won't be shattered to splinters
Enough, enough with the hurt, enough with the tears
A year that the land bleeds not sleeping and why?

Give me the hope to accept what there isn't 
The strength to change what there is.

Come let's continue, our life is in front of us
It's not late because tomorrow is a new day
The dream will perish if we lose the hope
So reach out to love    

G-d, give me the hope to accept what there isn't
Give me the courage to try to fix the world.

Come let's continue, our life is in front of us
It's not late because tomorrow is a new day
The dream will perish if we lose the hope
So reach out to love    

G-d, give me the hope to accept what there isn't 
Give me the strength to change what is
Give me the courage to try to fix the world.

Come let's continue, our life is in front of us
It's not late because tomorrow is a new day
The dream will perish if we lose the hope
So reach out to love.