A review for "Harbu Darbu" in
The Times of Israel found that the song "encapsulates a feeling of righteous fury" following the previous month's Hamas-led attack, An article in
The Forward called "Harbu Darbu" a "hawkish war cry". The song was featured on the
Galgalatz radio station as part of Ido Porat's
New and Interesting show. Israel studies professor Shayna Weiss said that the anger and extreme politics of the song are a departure from the sad songs traditionally played on the radio during times of conflict, with "Harbu Darbu" being a "
rally around the flag,
Zionist anthem" more typical of the
Second Intifada.
Al Jazeera English and
Middle East Eye said that the song
endorsed genocide.
Billboard magazine included "Harbu Darbu" in a
Hanukkah playlist, comparing it to
Leonard Cohen's performances for the IDF during the 1973
Yom Kippur War. Mia Khalifa criticized the song's use of a drill beat, writing "they can't even call for genocide in their own culture, they had to colonize something to get it to #1." Stilla responded to Khalifa, calling her an idiot. A statement by the artists said, "We are happy for the conversation the song is sparking around the world, that everyone will know and remember that we are a strong nation, a strong army and most importantly, everyone gets their due." A separate article for the
Global Village Space opined that the song had a "barbaric nature" and its criticism of those speaking out about the treatment of Palestinians had potentially "creat[ed] further concern about the impact of such content on international platforms". The article also addressed
cultural appropriation, addressing the song's Syrian Arabic title, repeated use of Arabic language and use of Arabic Nomadic attire in the music video. ==Music video and performances==