Hanan Ben Ari (; born 8 April 1988) is an Israeli singer, songwriter, and composer. His debut album, Izun (Balance), released 21 February 2016, was certified gold in Israel with 15,000 copies sold in three months and received heavy radio play on Galgalatz. He has been noted as one of relatively few religious artists, including Ishay Ribo and Nathan Goshen, who have found success in the secular Israeli mainstream.
Early life Ben Ari grew up in Karnei Shomron, the fifth of six siblings; his father works in the financial sector of Bat Yam, while his mother works in special education. He is the nephew of former MK and Otzma Yehudit co-founder Michael Ben-Ari. Hanan sang in choirs from the age of six, learned keyboard from age 12, and began composing music at age 13. His father sang Iraqi, Egyptian, and Syrian music when he was growing up, and he was first exposed to hip hop around age 15. One of his older brothers, Neria, later left Orthodox Judaism.
After graduating high school at 17 via matriculation, Ben-Ari attended a hesder yeshiva in Mitzpe Ramon. He also spent time in Gush Katif's Neve Dekalim and witnessed the Israeli disengagement from Gaza, which later inspired his single "Mother". Ben-Ari served in the IDF's Netzah Yehuda Battalion for a year and eight months.
Career
Beginnings and Izun (2014–2016) Prior to a full-time music career, Ben-Ari taught at an alternative high school in Petah Tikva, wrote and edited the religious youth magazine Olam Ketan with his wife, and sang in a Jewish wedding band, Hakolot. In 2013, he collaborated with musicians Yaakov Asraf and Nir Rubin on an educational stage musical called Mitbagrim ("Growing Up"), which ran for over 100 performances. A performance of Hakolot's song "Vatikh Miriam", composed by Ben Ari, won third place in a national Israeli dance music contest in 2014.
Ben-Ari's debut single, Mimecha Ad Elay ("From You to Myself"), was announced by his uncle in November 2014. The song, whose lyrics reference Song of Songs and other Jewish scripture, was added to the Galgalatz daily playlist, where it reached fourth place in the station's weekly ranking and 34th in the station's year-end ranking. Several of his subsequent singles were also placed in heavy rotation on Galgalatz, as well as receiving over a million views each on YouTube. Another single, Hachaim Shelanu Tutim (Our Lives are Strawberries), reached No. 1 on Media Forest's weekly chart and was parodied on the Israeli TV sketch show Eretz Nehederet.
Ben-Ari's debut album, Izun (Balance), was crowdfunded via the website Headstart, where it raised over ₪100,000. The album was produced by Eyal Mazig. One of the album's tracks, Achim (Brothers), was a duet with Ivri Lider. The album was released on 21 February 2016 via NMC Music, receiving positive reviews and being certified gold in Israel with 15,000 copies sold in three months.
The following month, Ben-Ari played dates in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and Herzliya. During the summer, he toured nationally in Israel and performed at Festival HaTamar alongside Shlomi Shaban, Peter Roth, Maor Cohen, Margol, Riki Gal, and Guy & Yahel.
Lo Levad (2016–present) Ahead of the release of his second album, Ben Ari released the singles: "Not Alone", "Thanks to you", "On my bed" featuring Moshe Peretz, and "", the lyrics of which he wrote with Keren Peles. The theme of the song "Wikipedia" is that we must not reduce people or groups to stereotypes or their descriptions in Wikipedia but rather see them as individuals. The song "Wikipedia" reached the second place in the annual parade of Galglatz for the Hebrew year 5777 and the third place in the annual parade of the Network 3 in the same year.
To coincide with Yom Ha'Atzmaut in 2016, Ben-Ari released the song Nigun HaNeshamot (Melody of the Souls). He had originally written the song during the 2006 Lebanon War, and later revisited it during the conflict in Bint Jbeil.
He then won ACUM song of the year award in 2017. In December he released the single "What do you want from me", and in March 2018 he released the song "Good News". In April, he released his second album, "".
With Maccabi Tel Aviv's victory in the 2018–19 Israeli Premier League, Ben Ari performed the championship song "", as a renewal of the song sung by Ethnix in the 1995–96 Liga Leumit.
In February 2019, he released the single "", composed by Ben Ari in collaboration with Nathan Goshen. In May 2019, he released a single called "", which deals with the intergenerational gap on issues such as faith and preserving tradition. The song provoked mixed reactions in the religious sector and beyond.
In February 2020, he released the music video "". The song came in second place in the annual Hebrew hymn parade of Galgalatz and Ynet and in the mako parade for the Hebrew year of 5780. In these parades he was also chosen as man of the year, along with winning the title of "Singer of the Year" by . In April, Ben-Ari released the single Ga’aguim Lebnei Adam (Longing for People), inspired by the COVID-19 pandemic. and was written together with Rabbi Lior Engelman. He also joined with Kav Lachayim, a child disability and rare illness organization, and with fellow Israeli artists Akiva, Ariel Zilber, Berry Sakharof, Amir Benayoun, and Lior Elmaliah for a rendition of the Sephardic liturgical poem "Refa Tziri". In November, Ben-Ari released the music video "", which went straight to the first place in the Media Forest weekly chart. The song reached the ninth place in the annual parade of Galgalatz in the Hebrew year 5781. For the video, Ben-Ari had posted to Facebook asking fans to send in clips of parents bonding with their children.
In May 2021 he released the single "" which he wrote together with his brother Neria. The following month he performed on 4 consecutive days at the Caesarea Maritima theater.
Because of the Coronavirus outbreak of 2019, no was awarded in 2020. In 2021, Ben Ari retroactively won the Akum Award for "Artist of the Year" and most played song of 2020 for "If You Want".
On September 6, 2021, Ben-Ari won "Singer of the Year" in the annual song parade. On December 6, 2021, Ben Ari released a music video for his single "".
On March 28, 2022, he was supposed to release the rhythmic song "Ela Bi" but since the shooting attack in Hadera took place the day before, he chose to postpone its release and instead released the song "". About nine months later, on December 12, 2022, he released the song "Ela Bi". The music video for "Ela Bi" was controversial among religious audiences, as it showed men and women dancing together. In June, the musical "Champion of the World" premiered at the Orna Porat Children's Theater, which included Ben-Ari's songs. That same month, he released the music video single "" (from a live performance) that talks about his grandfather, after whom he is named. On July 14, he performed at the opening ceremony of the 2022 Maccabiah Games in the presence of Israeli president Isaac Herzog, Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid and United States President Joe Biden. On September 9, 2022 he released a live album titled .
In April 2023, The New York Times listed Ben-Ari as part of a wave of religious singers gaining mainstream popularity in Israel, alongside Ishay Ribo, Nathan Goshen, Akiva Turgeman, and Narkis Reuven-Nagar. The following month, it was announced that Ben-Ari would lead an advertising campaign for El Al Airlines.
In 2025, Ben-Ari released a new song called "Hashivenu" which means "Bring us back". The lyrics are from the final verse of the Biblical book of Lamentations. The words in translation from the Hebrew are "Return us to you, Oh Lord and we shall return; renew our days as of old." Ben-Ari stated that the song was released against the backdrop of the release of several hostages freed from two years of captivity in Gaza after October 7, 2023. On January 15, 2026, he released his fourth album titled "Not The Only Crazy One". The song "Hashivenu" was included in this album after its tremendous popularity over the course of the previous year.
Artistry Ben-Ari's music draws from rock, soul, R&B, gospel, hip hop, and Arabic and Mizrahi music. His sound has drawn comparison to Alicia Keys, while Ben-Ari himself has cited Irish musician Hozier as an influence and expressed admiration for Israeli singer Karolina.
Personal life Ben-Ari was married to Hadassah, an editor, content producer, and poet who co-wrote a song with him. The couple met when Hanan was 20 and on leave from the army, through a mutual friend, and married shortly after. They initially lived in Bnei Brak, near Ponevezh Yeshiva, then lived in Ramat Gan and Or Yehuda, before settling in Pardes Hanna-Karkur as of 2020. They have seven children. Ben-Ari's paternal uncle is Michael Ben-Ari, former member of Knesset who has been disqualified from re-running for election due to incitement to racism.
Hanan and his wife separated in August 2024 and divorced in December 2024.
Politics Ben-Ari has been vocal about his view that the Israeli settlements in the Gaza Strip should be reestablished. In a video posted on TikTok on October 25, 2023, he can be seen singing to soldiers and proclaiming: "Returning to Gush Katif, Playing beach volleyball, Establishing Nova Beach on the Gaza coast, The nation of Israel lives!".
Discography
Studio albums +TitleEnglish translationDetailsIzunBalance Released: 21 February 2016 Label: NMC MusicLo LevadNot Alone Released: May 17, 2018 Label: D-MusicYesh Kan Yoter MizehThere's More Here Than This Released: 2023Lo HaMeshugah HaYechidiNot The Only Crazy One Released: January 15, 2026
Live albums Live 2022 (2022) (2024)
Singles +YearTitleEnglish translationAlbum2014Mimecha Ad ElayFrom You to MyselfIzun2015IzunBalanceIma Im HayitiMother2016Hachaim Shelanu TutimOur Lives are StrawberriesLama Lanu LirdofWhy Do We Chase?Lo LevadNot AloneLo Levad2017Toda She'atThank You for BeingVikipediaWikipediaSod HaMazlotSecret of the SignsNon-album singleMa Atah Rotzeh MimeniWhat Do You Want From Me?Lo Levad2018Bshorot TovotGood NewsLaila Tov ShonGood Night ShonNon-album single2019Aluf HaOlamWorld ChampionDorGenerationShemeshSun2020Im TirtziIf You WantGa’aguim Lebnei AdamLonging for PeopleShaburei LevBroken Hearted2021Amen Al HaYeladimAmen to the ChildrenCholem Kmo YosefDreaming Like JosephMakomPlace2022B'Sof Zeh HaLachanIn the End, It's the MelodyHananiahHananiahEla BiBut In Me2023Atelef IverBlind Bat2023Hutz' MikaduregelBesides Soccer2025HashivenuReturn us (was added to 2026 album)2025AchiBrother
Music videos +YearTitleDirector2016"Nigun HaNeshama"Yaakov Asraf"Lo Levad"Yael Taub2017"Todah She'atYaakov Asraf & Sulam Yaakov"Wikipedia"Tomer Gerbi & Yaniv Schmelzer"Sod HaMazlot"Hanan Ben-Ari"Ma Atah Rotzeh Mimeni"Or Barnea2018"Laila Tov Shon"Yaakov Asraf & Hanan Ben-Ari2019"Aluf HaOlam"Eitan Cohen & Alon Seifert2020"Im Tirtzi"Yaakov Asraf"Ga'aguim Lebnei Adam"Nadav Tzupi"Shaburei Lev"Yaakov Asraf"Amen Al HaYeladim"Eitan Cohen2021"Cholem Kmo Yosef"Eitan Cohen & Alon Seifert"Makom"Hai Afik2022"Hananiah"Yaakov Asraf"Ela Bi"Eitan Cohen, Tomer Biran, Alon Seifert2023"Hutz' Mikaduregel"Omri rosi
See also
Music of Israel List of Israeli musical artists
References
External links