The Eurovision 2019 scene was closed. As always, criticism of the biggest pop competition in the world is not lacking in the European Song Festival. But most just want to amuse with a festival already erected in the cult.
Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) was the third time in Israel. The competition was won by the Netherlands, while thousands of people in Tel Aviv celebrated this song celebration for a few days. 180 million people follow it on television. At the same time, the Israeli government holds the blocked Gaza Strip and occupied Western Jordan, the annexed Golan Elevations. Is this about music? Eurovision organizers say No, and escape public debate with that. Music artists are forbidden to express themselves for the Middle East conflict on the open stage. Neither the pop icon, Madonna. Only one music group from Iceland disagreed with this by poetizing before their appearance for the "apartheid state of Israel" discriminating against the Palestinians. They also showed the Palestinian flag during the polls, which was accompanied by whistles of the public.
Politics between sounds
Palestinians also use the world-famous celebrity festival for their purposes. Palestinian rockets on Israel from the Gaza Strip 10 days ago wanted to transment the message that in a "oppressive" state - as critics call Israel - is a misleading musical race in the wrong place. Israel itself interprets the culmination of European music as proof of how tolerant and open to the world is the only democracy of the Near East.
The Eurovision Song Contest logically - a political event: so has always been. At first it was a symbol of Western Europe's unification after World War II, following the fall of the Berlin Wall an instrument for the connection between East and West of Europe. A festival always ahead of time, because the euro has always had more members than the European Union, it also involved Communist Yugoslavia long before the end of the Cold War. Even Israel has been present at this festival for 40 years. Members of the "European Broadcasting Union" organizing the festival include both African and Arab countries, but apart from Morocco, they did not attend because of the rejection of another Israelite. Since the 60's in the Eurovision there have been protests, then against the military dictatorship in Spain. Russia's conflicts with Georgia and Ukraine, tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan - all these conflicts have regularly politicized the naive Eurovision with its colorful and full-light façade.
No effect
This year, calls for Eurovision boycott 2019 because of Israel did not find echo. The 41 artists and artists appeared in Tel Aviv to introduce their country. In fact, fewer tourists and fans came than it was anticipated, but this is not so much about politics or security, as it is with low prices, somewhat absurd for tickets, hotel stops or transportation costs. There is nothing in Israel that is not political either. Everything and everything is related to the conflict with Palestine or allegations of anti-Semitism. At a grotesque point culminated a debate of the propaganda boycott campaign, "BDS" (Boycott, Noninvestment, Sanctions). Organizers claim that the Israeli government is re-enacting its "illegal" policy of rainbow colors for homosexuals and transsexuals or intersexuals who have weaknesses for the Eurovision. The LGBTQI community, which also uses the festival for itself, allows Netanyahu's government to use "pink washing", pink-colored settling policy.
Indeed, homosexuals can live in Israel without any problems. Indeed in Tel Aviv also celebrate Palestinian homosexuals. In tolerant Israeli society, married couples can marry and adopt children. In the Gaza Strip and West Jordan, homosexuality in repressive societies is a grave sin. Boycotters themselves argue homophobically when they throw in Israel an Israeli policy to the Palestinians with the rights of LGBTQI community equality.
Not singing is not a solution
Anti-Semitic transformations of propaganda activists, BDSs, must be rejected with contempt. In a logo of their protest they show in the eurovision writing format a broken heart that falls into two ranks of Nazi SSs. By this they want to establish parallels between Nazi terror and the musical race in the Jewish state. In this context, the German Bundestag has done the right thing to be the first parliament in Europe to look critically with boycott campaign activists and take away their support.
Of course you can criticize the Israeli government's policy. But it should not slip into propaganda against the Jews. If you use Euro 2012 criticism of 2019, then neither in 2012 nor in the Azerbaijani Eurovision, nor in Russia in 2009, should have been developed. If you can not sing in Tel Aviv, then you should not play soccer in Qatar at the World Cup or in the China Olympic Games in 2022. There are at least as many criticisms as on Israel for these countries. Boycott and Exemption? No. Discussion and criticism? Yes. This may be the political spirit of a Eurovision. But do not expect much. Because, first of all, eurovision is a big-size party. / DW
