JERUSALEM, Nov. 28 (Xinhua) -- An Israeli Jewish man and an Israeli Arab have formed a rap duo, making music videos to deal with the cruel reality of the racial tension in Israel, and became popular.

Uriya Rosenman grew up in profound Jewish background and served in the military, while Sameh Zakout was born a minority in the country, facing a prejudiced or even an antagonistic environment almost daily when growing up.

But they share similar feelings, which are the weariness at the endless political turmoil and the passion for music and peace.

When they met nearly two years ago, they clicked with each other right away. Rosenman wanted an Arab voice to release a song he had written about the complex reality between Israel and Palestine, and Zakout was a perfect choice.

"It's the best surprise that has happened to me in the last decade," Zakout smiled as he fist-bumps Rosenman.

"Let's Talk Straight," the first video of their cooperation, is a rap duel signifying the constant trade of accusation and hatred between the Jewish and the Arabs in the country. It was a cruelly accurate depiction of the racial standoff in Israel, but also provides a chance for people from both sides to see from the angle of their opposite.

The video was released shortly after the 11-day Israel-Gaza conflict in May. The timing was perfect and the video went viral.

Now, a few months later, when tensions appear to have subsided or at least tucked away temporarily, they just released their second video entitled "Munfas," which means airway in English. The song is about the young generation of Israelis and Palestinians who feel suffocated by the past, tied down to past generations' conceptions.

"Munfas" is part of a larger endeavor they have taken on in recent months, entitled "Dugri," which in Arab means talking straight. Zakout and Rosenman aim to bring down barriers between Jews and Arabs in the country, to help them communicate in a direct manner.

The two are convinced that by getting Jews and Arabs to know more about each other, there will be less fear and potentially better relations. They also believed that the younger generation could be the one to create change and live differently.

"We had enough of our parents' past traumas. We experienced fewer wars, fewer bombing attacks, less terror. We experienced much more technology, unmediated communications through social media," said Rosenman, speaking at a recording studio in Tel Aviv.

"The young generation wants a possibility to create a better, mutual future," he said.

"We have a life and we love to live," Zakout sings at the beginning of their new song. He portrays the reality for many Arabs living in Israel as "stuck between integration and resistance."

This is the complexity that often has Jews and Arabs mistrusting each other. The dialogue between Zakout and Rosenman is often one that exists in the minds of the people, but is rarely spoken out loud.

This is what the duo aims to change.

"We have a goal of promoting straight talk, promoting authenticity, promoting a reality... that's something that we need to be able to do as a society," Rosenman said.

The two also maintain a Facebook group called "Let's Talk Straight." The group is meant to be a channel for Jews and Arabs to openly talk to each other. Over 3,400 people have joined.

"We offer them talk dugri, talk straight, don't be afraid to say who you are," Zakout told Xinhua.

They have felt that the younger generation is much more receptive to their message. In recent months, they have been touring the country, talking to youth about the future they wish for them.

"We need to look for a different future... so we have to find a solution and I don't think war and blood is our goal in life," said Rosenman, adding that "everybody wants to live in harmony and peace eventually while respecting each other existence and language and heritage."

"Maybe I changed a couple of Israelis, how they see Arabs in their eyes, how they hear the Arabic language, a sound that bothers them," said Zakout, "Even if I affected only ten people, (it) doesn't matter. At least I did something." Enditem

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