In the glitzy, camp world of the annual song contest, sequins are as plentiful as the controversies. Despite widespread protests, this year’s Eurovision includes Israel once again – normalising a genocidal state through music in front of millions of viewers globally.
Eurovision is particularly popular with the LGBTQ community, which is precisely why it shouldn't be a platform for pinkwashing and artwashing — a little glitter can't cover up genocide, ethnic-cleansing and apartheid.
For months, the European Broadcast Union (EBU) – the governing body behind Eurovision – has been under increasing pressure to bar Israel from competing in the wake of its brutal and relentless war on Gaza, which has killed over 35,000 Palestinians, of which around 14,000 were children.
Musicians from Finland, Iceland, Norway, Denmark and even Sweden (this year’s host country) have all signed open letters urging their national broadcasters to push for Israel to be banned. And as @ahmedeldin explains, Israel’s participation in this year’s contest exposes the double standards and flagrant hypocrisy embedded in the EBU’s murky definition of what counts as “political”.
Do you think Israel should be barred from Eurovision?
Writer: Ahmed Shihab-Eldin Editor & Producer: Reem Khabbazy
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