Yaakov Rotblit

The group released an album by the same name in 2013. Many of the songs on the album are protest songs about the social and political realities in Israel.

In 2011, Rotblit formed the rock group HaHazer HaAchorit (החצר האחורית, "The Backyard") with Tomer Yosef (a vocalist from the group Balkan Beat Box), Itamar Ziegler (guitar and bass), and Gdi Ronen (keyboard).

In 2005, Rotblit was elected as chairman of the board at ACUM.

In 2000, Rotblit received an honorary fellowship from the Sam Spiegel Film and Television School.

In 1998, the Israel Theatre staged a tribute to Rotblit's work as part of the Israel Festival in Jerusalem.

In 1997 Rotblit received a lifetime achievement award from ACUM, the Israeli composer association.

Rotblit moved to Jerusalem in 1996 after several years of living in various places in Israel and abroad.

At the close of a peace rally on November 4, 1995, the vocalist Miri Aloni, the groups Gevatron and Irusim, Shimon Peres and Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin led the crowd in singing Shir LaShalom. Just after the rally ended, Yitzhak Rabin was assassinated. In his shirt pocket was found a page with the song's lyrics, stained with his blood.

In 1989 Rotblit released a second album titled Mikhtavim M'Bait Revii (מכתבים מבית רביעי, Letters From The Fourth House). This album also included sociopolitical songs alongside love songs and other personal songs.

In 1982 he married Orna, who died in 1998 following an illness. Rotblit was left with their three children, Alia, Orian, and Adam.

In 1978 Rotblit released his first solo album, Kach Shihrarti Et Yerushalaim (כך שחררתי את ירושלים, This is how I liberated Jerusalem), also called "The Victory Album". The album was not allowed on the air for a certain period, but nonetheless received a fan following. The ten songs on the album include pacifist protest songs as well as songs about love and personal experiences.

Several artists released entire albums in collaboration with Rotblit, including Arik Einstein's BaDeshe Etzel Avigdor (1971), Yehudit Ravitz's Baa MeAhava (1987), Danni Bassan's eponymous album (1986), Shmulik Kraus's Galgal Mistovev (1982), Ahrei Esrim Shana (1988), Yedidoti LaSviva (1994), and Yom Rodef Yom (2003).

Between 1970 and 1973 Rotblit authored a satirical column Sahek Ota (שחק אותה) in a supplement of Haaretz, as well as a column called Galgel Ota (גלגל אותה) in the mid-week edition of that paper.

His second song, "Shir LaShalom" (שיר לשלום, "A Song To Peace") was written in 1969 and became an anthem of the Israeli peace movement. The song was set to music by Yair Rosenblum and was first performed in 1969 by the Infantry Ensemble (להקת הנחל) of the Israel Defense Forces as part of its Sinai Infantry Outpost program, during the War of Attrition between Israel and Egypt. It featured the soloist Miri Aloni, who later became a celebrated folk singer and actor.

Rotblit's first song, "Zemer Shekazeh" (זמר שכזה, "Such A Song") was recorded in 1968.

While he was in university, the Six-Day War started and he left his studies to fight as a platoon leader in the 63rd battalion of the Jerusalem Brigade. During the battle over Abu Tor, Rotblit was severely wounded in his hand, and lost a leg.

Yaakov "Yankele" Rotblit (יעקב רוֹטְבְּלִיט) (born in 1945) is an Israeli songwriter, singer, composer, and journalist best known for writing the lyrics for the Shir LaShalom.

Rotblit was born in Haifa in 1945. He was a member of Agudat Yordei Yam Zebulon and Hashomer Hatzair. After finishing his secondary education in Hugim high school, he enlisted to Nahal with a Hashomer Hatzair group formed for the completion of Kibbutz Metzer. After his discharge from the IDF he attended the Hebrew University of Jerusalem where he studied history and international relations.