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When I first arrived in England to attend university, I enrolled in a class about the European Union. The professor’s introduction to the topic was recommending that we watch Eurovision in order to understand the dynamics between different countries. As a dedicated student, I followed his advice and tuned in to my first Eurovision song contest in May 2016. Interestingly, this was just a month before the UK’s Brexit vote. I witnessed Joe and Jake’s performance, which placed a disappointing 24th out of 26 entries. It was a valuable lesson for me.
Following that, Eurovision became a cherished annual tradition for me and my friends, one that I must now forgo. Rather than tuning in to Eurovision this year, I will be participating in the boycott of the competition.
The EBU, which is responsible for coordinating the competition, has approved Israel’s participation. This decision goes against the values that the song contest strives to promote: peace, unity, and cooperation. Sadly, one out of every 20 people who resided in Gaza a year ago have been affected by the violence caused by Israel, with many being killed, wounded, or missing. It is concerning that a country responsible for over 30,000 deaths in Gaza is still permitted to take part in the competition.
Israel’s involvement in the current competition highlights the inconsistent and blatant bias within the EBU’s unclear methods for determining what is deemed “political.” The EBU quickly barred Russian participation the day after their invasion of Ukraine, citing the divisive situation as potentially damaging to the integrity of the competition.
The EBU has faced mounting pressure to disqualify Israel from participating in the competition this year. Artists from Finland, Iceland, Norway, Denmark, and Sweden (the host country) have all endorsed open letters urging their national broadcasters to advocate for Israel’s ban. Iceland has even suggested they may withdraw from the contest due to the current situation. In addition, an online petition started in December has received nearly 50,000 signatures, targeting the EBU’s director general.
In February, there was a leak of the lyrics for Israel’s first Eurovision entry, “October Rain.” At the time, it appeared that the EBU may deny Israel a spot in the competition due to lyrics referencing the 7 October massacre by Hamas. These lyrics were deemed to violate Eurovision’s rules regarding political neutrality.
Initially, Kan, the national broadcasting organization of Israel, was resistant and declined the request from the EBU to modify the lyrics. The disagreement was resolved when Isaac Herzog, the president of Israel, stepped in to collaborate with Kan in altering the lyrics to meet Eurovision’s standards. Renamed as “Hurricane,” the song has been given the green light by the EBU, ensuring Israel’s participation in the competition this year. Interestingly, the new title “Hurricane” coincidentally rhymes with “October Rain.”
Although the EBU has released statements attempting to explain the decision to treat Russia and Israel differently, it is still evident that the EBU has not addressed the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza. This is not just a missed chance for Eurovision fans, but also a chance for the EBU to address past injustices in the contest. During the 2019 Eurovision competition in Tel Aviv, the EBU penalized Iceland’s broadcaster for displaying a Palestinian flag during the performance of their entry, Hatari. Additionally, the band’s protest was censored in the official DVD recording of the contest.
There is no moral or ethical way to watch Eurovision this year. No amount of mental gymnastics in my head can see it make sense. A boycott is the only option, and we must also go further. When Israel hosted Eurovision in 2019, an alternative Globalvision was organised by Palestinians in London, Dublin, Ramallah and Haifa on the same day to raise awareness of the occupation, but also to highlight “the original values of Eurovision, which is inclusion and diversity”.
Prior to 11 May, I am optimistic that these other Eurovision events will resume and serve as a platform for us to direct our enthusiasm and assistance. Instead of hosting live screenings of the finale, venues can choose to organize fundraising events for organizations such as Medical Aid for Palestinians. Remaining silent about this humanitarian crisis should not be tolerated – our actions hold even more significance now.
Although Eurovision has claimed to be apolitical, the reality is that the contest has always been influenced by political divisions and matters of inclusion and exclusion. This has been particularly evident through the powerful performances and songs that have shown support and solidarity for Ukraine in the past two years. Considering Eurovision’s history, it is doubtful that this year’s broadcast will permit any acts of support for Palestine.
Our current situation involves both Russia and Israel participating in unlawful invasions of other territories. However, only one of them has been granted the opportunity to showcase their performances on a global scale with over 160 million viewers. This raises the question as to why “unity in music” is only emphasized for Ukraine. As fans of Eurovision, if we truly want to uphold the competition’s values of peace and cooperation, the only option is to boycott.
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Jeff Ingold is a self-employed journalist who focuses on reporting about the LGBTQ+ community, music, and cultural topics.
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Source: theguardian.com
