Artists and musicians in Sweden, Iceland and Finland had petitioned the European Broadcasting Union to exclude Israel over its atrocities in Gaza
Israel can compete in this year’s Eurovision Song Contest, organisers confirmed on Thursday, again rejecting calls for it to be excluded over the Gaza war like Russia was after invading Ukraine.
On Wednesday, a group of 400 celebrities including British actress Helen Mirren, British singer Boy George and former Kiss frontman Gene Simmons published an open letter supporting Eurovision’s decision to maintain Israel’s participation.
The letter was issued in response to petitions calling for Israel to be kicked out of the world’s biggest live music event, which is being held in Malmo, Sweden, in May.
Approached by AFP, the European Broadcasting Union said it had conducted a review and decided late last year that Israel could participate in the kitsch annual pop extravaganza.
“The Eurovision Song Contest is a non-political music event and a competition between public service broadcasters who are members of the EBU. It is not a contest between governments,” EBU director general Noel Curran said, reiterating a statement made in January.
read more: https://www.newarab.com/news/eurovision-confirms-israel-can-compete
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Fucking disgusting. Allowing Israel to compete is a fricking Political statement that says that’s okay to do a bit of Genocide as long as you are Israel…
Not to mention, they kicked out Russia for the war in Ukraine
“We’re not political, unless we choose to be…”
So what we learn is that as long as it’s an ally of the west doing the genocide, they are still welcome to have a big party with us.
Well, yeah… the Bush admin lied about WMD’s and led dozens of western democracies into Iraq because of it — Bush, and many members of the US gov/intelligence/military complex, should be in prison for war crimes.
Not to mention that they had already stolen the 2000 election via corruption.
Most of history was written by criminals. That’s why shit’s fucked yo!
Also doing proper genocide is bonus points.
A non-political event, eh? Interesting: https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2022/dec/30/eurovision-chief-russia-ban-stands-for-ultimate-values-democracy.
If countries disagree they should boycott. At minimum bring some Palestinian flags
In 2019 when Eurovision was in Israel, Icelandic band Hatari was fined and harassed for displaying the Palestinian flags.
It’ll apparently be in Malmö this year, so it’ll probably be the other way around now.
Idk, considering EBU clearly shown their preference as in the OP.
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displaying the Palestinian flags
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On Wednesday, a group of 400 celebrities including British actress Helen Mirren, British singer Boy George and former Kiss frontman Gene Simmons published an open letter supporting Eurovision’s decision to maintain Israel’s participation.
First of all, fuck those 3 with rusty rail spikes for their genocide denial and active support for the fascist apartheid regime committing it. They’re dead to me.
Second of all, does anyone have a list of the other 397 hateful or at the very least wilfully ignorant beasts?
Edit: found it myself in this awful Variety article celebrating the letter
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This is a list of nobodies lmao, they really couldn’t do better than this?
Sounds like they’ll all be singing songs about how Israel are cunts.
If only!
“non-political music event” absolute poppycock, it has always been a political event.
As others have said, I don’t like this “it’s cool if people we are in bed with do the genocide” attitude.
Awesome organized movement in malmoe. Looking forward to Eurovision being completely shut down
Forget politics… isn’t EURO vision a EURO-pean contest? I thought Israel was in the middle east. Of course, I’ve never watched it, so maybe India and Australia compete as well.
Australia actually do…
which is also very stupid
Austrialia has earned their right to participate. For some insane reason, an absolutely massive amount of people (2.5 million+) get up at 4am to watch the broadcast from 5am.
I don’t see how that in any way qualifies them. If a bunch of americans start watching it live, are we gonna get them out there too?
Idunno, probably 🤷
Get butts in seats, you get to compete…s
Capitalism always wins.
Does it harm you in some way that AUS gets to participate after two decades of millions of people getting up at 4:30am to watch the contest or do you just like huffing and puffing with your thumbs on the internet
More of the latter in all honesty, since I haven’t watched it in years. I still stand by my point (which I have had as long as I can remember) of it being a weird addition, same as Israel.
fair enough!
for what its worth I’d prefer Isreal wasn’t included, and the fact that they’re included this year after russia was excluded for Ukraine, I feel, is shameful.
Aus really fought for their spot with the manic fandom, they’re allright by me.
Why did you stop watching? Finland’s entry for this year is a guy called Windows95 Man and the stage performance includes more oddly placed denim than you’d reasonably guess: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Tf1NS1vEhSg
When they say Europe they just mean countries with white western values
Correction: technically it’s in the European Broadcasting Union zone. Notice, however, that most of those who compete are from white European countries with matching white Europian culture. There’s a reason you don’t see Morocco competing except for that one time in the 80s.
Israel tries to be a “European” country and a “Middle Eastern” one all the same. Too bad that what it actually is is a racist apartheid ethnostate.
It’s because they are part of the European Broadcasting Union, which is mainly European countiees but also includes Egypt and Israel.
Associate members are also allowed to join Eurovision on a case by case basis which is where you get Australia going to Eurovision.
isn’t EURO vision a EURO-pean contest
Close. It’s a Euro-peen contest. At least some of the after parties probably are 🤷
Australia does compete in the ESC :D
Every “euro” sport competition join the chat.
Ya it seems like a blatant admission that isreal is a colony
Eurovision shaping up to be a shit show then.
Wonder if Israel will send something as bad as that incel song of theirs that has death threats against Mia Khalifa and Dua Lipa.
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They should enter with that fucked up kid’s song of theirs about killing everyone in Gaza
Genociders welcome
Disgusting.
Fuck Eurovision then.
Eurovision Songcontest => has something to do with Europe? Israel in a country in Europe? If yes what is with songs from Palestine? Syria? Lebanon? They are not in Europe, but Israel should be? I think this contest is racist. From it’s roots.
The technical reason is that Israel is part of the European Broadcasting Union which runs Eurovision which for example Australia has been a part of for the past decade or so, I’m actually not sure if Palestine or any part of Palestine has ever attempted to join this organization, but it does complicate things when you’re being occupied in joining organizations. Lebanon is eligible to enter Eurovision because it belongs to a related org to the EBU, but has never chosen to do so because Israel is in the contest. Israel shouldn’t be allowed because it’s genocidal and a illegitimate settler colonial state, not because of the location. If Israel had never been created, I imagine most of the MENA states in the Arab States Broadcasting Union would have joined the contest.
