A petition to exclude Israel from participation is already close Signed 14,000 times at the time of publication. “When Russia invaded Ukraine, the Eurovision Song Contest was very fast and strict, and banned Russia from participating,” the petition said. Russia has not been allowed to participate in the event since 2022.
More than 1400 music artists from Finland have a similar petition signed, reports the British broadcaster BBC. They ask their national television channel, Yle, to withdraw the Finnish entry if Israel is allowed to participate. Icelandic artists have made the same demand to the Icelandic channel Rúv.
Only ‘strict’ news
Various ‘fan community media’, or websites and blogs that serve Eurovision fans, have announced that they will only report ‘strict’ news about Israel because of the war. This also applies to the Dutch podcast Ding-a-Dong. “In the podcast we only tell the strict news, such as that a song has been selected,” one of the two makers Gerrit-Jan Kooijman tells RTL News.
According to Kooijman, there are several reasons why Israel has not yet been excluded from the competition. For example, Israel’s national broadcaster, KAN, has not yet officially done anything that the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) can say constitutes misinformation. “They have not officially crossed the line yet,” says Kooijman. The EBU is the umbrella body of all public broadcasters in Europe and determines under what conditions countries may participate in the Eurovision Song Contest.
However, in one of Israel’s preliminary rounds – in which the national candidate is chosen – attention was paid to the war. For example, some candidates performed in military uniform, including Shaul Greenglick, who was later killed in a military action. Videos from the Israeli army were also shown.
In addition, the situation with Russia was different in 2022, because several broadcasters – including AVROTROS – spoke out against Russia, even before the EBU decided to exclude the country.
Non-political event
In a response to RTL News, the EBU said it is doing everything it can to ensure that the Eurovision Song Contest remains a non-political event that ‘brings viewers together worldwide through music’. According to the EBU, all participants in the Eurovision Song Contest are assessed in advance and the Israeli broadcaster KAN met all the conditions according to the EBU.
The organization does not want to make any further statements about the difference between the exclusion of Russia in 2022 and the discussion surrounding Israel’s participation. “Comparisons between wars and conflicts are very complex and complicated. As a non-political media organization, we do not make those kinds of comparisons.”
The AVROTROS, which represents the Dutch entry, agrees. “Each situation is of course individual and will have to be assessed as such,” a spokesperson said.
“For decades the rule has been that the Eurovision Song Contest may not be used as a stage for politics or propaganda. History shows that the EBU strictly monitors this,” the spokesperson continues. She makes no statements about the Dutch broadcaster’s further position regarding Israel’s participation. “We are simply not about who can or cannot participate.”
Will leave its mark
Regardless of whether the EBU decides that Israel is not allowed to participate, or whether Israel itself withdraws, the war will leave a mark on the Eurovision Song Contest, thinks podcast maker Kooijman.
“I am also curious how they will deal with the rules, for example in terms of flags that are allowed inside,” says Kooijman. “I wouldn’t be surprised if we get a rule that no flags are allowed in at all, to prevent Palestinian flags from being brought in.” In 2019 – when the Eurovision Song Contest was organized in Israel – the Icelandic entry Hatari came on screen with flags that read ‘Palestine’. View the images here:
Moreover, the question is: how far do you extend the exclusion of countries? “For example, there is also a longer conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan,” he says. “Where is the line in long-term conflicts?”
This year’s Eurovision Song Contest will take place from May 7 to 11 in Malmö, Sweden.
First non-European country
Israel entered the Eurovision Song Contest in 1973, as the first non-European country. The country was then allowed to participate because it was already part of the EBU.
In 2019, the Eurovision Song Contest was held in Israel, after singer Netta’s win in 2018.
Bron: Eurovision
2024-01-18 10:55:57
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