information from
Professor David Assaf
Department of Jewish History
TEL AVIV UNIVERSITY

The story of this song is extensively told in my book שיר הוא לא רק מילים: פרקי מסע בזמר העברי which was published in Hebrew in 2019 by Am Oved publishing house.

If you can read Hebrew, you may find in my chapter some answers to many questions you may have (attach) +
https://shir-hu-lo-rak-milim.blogspot.com/2019/12/blog-post_7.html

My interest in the song started earlier when I published two posts about it in my blog Oneg Shabbat: https://onegshabbat.blogspot.com/2013/02/blog-post_19.html and here: https://onegshabbat.blogspot.com/2013/02/blog-post_3605.html

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Note: the three links provided have Hebrew text, but can be
translated using the translate function.
Chapter Fourteen // 'Hi South': From Dzhankoya to Eilat
The Reincarnation of a Nigun: On the Way to Eilat We Stop at Dzhenkoya (A)
The Reincarnation of a Tune: On the Way to Eilat We Stop in Dzhankoya (B)

Thomas.