The governments of Germany and France this Friday considered protests calling for Israel to be banned from the 68th Eurovision Song Contest and for other countries to boycott the competition “unacceptable.”
This year’s competition, taking place in Malmo, Sweden, with entries from 37 countries and whose finals will take place on Saturday, is marked by the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
This Friday, German Culture Minister Claudia Roth classified as “unacceptable” the protests and calls to boycott Israel’s participation in the finals of the competition, for which representatives from 26 countries were selected, in a publication posted on social networks. .
A government official found Sweden’s announced increased security measures to protect Israeli citizens and Jews in general “appalling.”
“Anti-Semitism, hatred and violence have no place at such an important music event,” the publication also said.
French Minister for European Affairs Jean-Neul Barrault also considers the “pressure on artists” in calls for a boycott of Israel in the final of the Eurovision Song Contest “unacceptable.”
“At a time when artistic freedom is under threat around the world, Europe must continue to defend loudly and clearly this essential principle of democracy,” he said in an interview with Liberation newspaper published today and quoted by Agence France Hurry.
Recalling that “politics has no place at Eurovision,” the official said that “in the specific case of Eurovision, pressure contradicts the spirit of the competition, whose motto is “United by Music” and which aims to unite the peoples of Europe and beyond around artistic creativity.” Something that “must remain at the center of the competition.”
Jean-Neul Barrot stated that the Eurovision Song Contest “plays an important role in constantly strengthening the sense of belonging to a common culture”, believing that it “allows Europeans to unite through music, overcoming language barriers (…) and [fazê-los] discover the best of European culture.”
“This is a valuable asset that needs to be preserved,” he said.
The 68th Eurovision Song Contest is marked by the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which has lasted for decades but intensified following the October 7 attack on Israel by the Palestinian group Hamas, which killed nearly 1,200 people. Led by Benjamin, Netanyahu responded with an offensive that killed more than 34,000 people in the Gaza Strip, according to reports from both sides.
Since it became known that Israel, represented by Eden Golan, will be participating in the competition, political representatives and European artists have made several requests to the EBU to veto the country’s participation in the competition.
Among various appeals, at the end of March, representatives of nine countries, including Portugal, signed a letter calling for an “immediate and lasting ceasefire” in the war in Palestine and the return of all Israeli hostages.
At that time, the EBU reminded that the festival was an “apolitical” event. However, in 2022, a decision was made to exclude Russia from the competition following the invasion of Ukraine.
On the day of the second semi-final, in which Israel competed, thousands of people took to the streets of Malmö to demand the country’s exclusion from the competition, in protest called by the Stop Israel platform, for peace and a free Palestine, which brings together more than 60 organizations.
Belgian television channel VRT, one of two broadcasters organizing the country’s participation in the competition, temporarily interrupted its broadcast on Thursday during a speech by Eden Golan, condemning “the violations of the State of Israel in the Gaza Strip.”
“Israel is destroying freedom of the press. Therefore, we have temporarily interrupted the broadcast,” said a statement aired during the semi-final and quoted by EuropaPress.
When the Israeli representative was on stage during the second semi-final of the competition, whistling was heard, especially in the opening part of the performance.
On Wednesday at rehearsals, which like the semi-finals and finals are open to the public, Eden Golan was booed by some of those in attendance.
At the press conference of the countries that qualified for the second semi-final of the competition, Eden Golan and the representative of the Netherlands Joost Klein found themselves in a tense situation.
On this occasion, a Polish journalist asked the Israeli artist about her responsibility for the highest level of terrorist activity in Malmö.
“By being here, you are a security risk and a danger to everyone. Do you mind this?” – he asked.
The moderator of the press conference reminded Eden Golan that she was not obligated to answer the question. “Why not?” — the artist from the Netherlands asked out loud. The episode went viral on social media.
While the Israeli singer is not required to respond, she said she believes everyone is participating in the Eurovision Song Contest for a reason “and that the EBU has taken every precaution to make it safe for everyone.”
In addition to signing a joint letter with other artists, Portugal’s Yolande performed on Sunday on the turquoise carpet (where representatives of all countries parade, marking the start of the competition’s live performances) in Malmo wearing a dress from a Palestinian brand and nails painted with a keffiyeh design. , a scarf that is a symbol of Palestinian resistance.
On Tuesday, the conflict was brought to the stage during the opening number of the first semi-final by singer Erik Saade, who represented Sweden in the competition in 2011 with the song “Popular”.
Eric Saade, of Palestinian descent, sang with his left hand wrapped in a keffiyeh.
Israel was the first non-European country to take part in the music competition in 1973, and has won four times, including with transgender singer Dana International in 1998.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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