[cont'd] "I'm planning a huge and powerful Eurovision number"

The Israeli public broadcaster rejected the selection of the song that will represent Israel in the #Eurovision Song Contest, following a request from the European Broadcasting Union to examine its lyrics, according to reports received by Israeli news site Ynet.

The broadcaster confirmed the information and added that this is not an unusual request specifically targeting Israel.

Meanwhile, the #EBU once again announced that they have rejected calls to disqualify Israel from the competition, in contrast to the measures taken against Russia.

"Comparisons between war and conflict are complex and as a non-political media organization, it's not our place to make them," they stated.

#Ynet [Hebrew] https://archive.md/fQOsU

@israel @palestine
#Israel

#Eurovision / “October Rain”

Subtle… 🙄 not final though. Two songs will be sent just in case the #EBU will reject the manifestly political one.

https://eurovisionfun.com/en/2024/02/israel-with-october-rain-eden-golan-in-eurovision-2024/

Source referenced https://www.israelhayom.co.il/culture/music/article/15291948

@israel
@palestine

[cont’d] not politicizing the #Eurovision, the words for “October Rain” include:

Why does time go wild Every day I'm loosing my mind
Holding on in this mysterious ride
Dancing in the storm
We got nothing to hide
Take me home
And leave the world behind

The #EBU signaled the song will be disqualified, causing the massively incompetent and redundant minister of Arts and sports, Miki Zohar, to demand the competition should not be politicized 😳 and the song accepted unmodified, leaving the door open to discussing the title.

@israel
@palestine
#Nova

[cont’d] Herzog: it’s important that Israel will be represented in the Eurovision

Israel’s president, who was only recently mentioned in the #ICJ ruling, with other Israeli officials, as having expressed genocidal intent against Palestinian, believes it’s important for Israel both politically and from a public diplomacy (#Hasbara) perspective, to find a way back into the competition, if only to prove the “haters” wrong.

[…] Unequivocally. It is an entire nation out there that is responsible. It is not true this rhetoric about civilians not aware, not involved. It is absolutely not true. They could have risen up. They could have fought against that evil regime which took over Gaza in a coup d’état. — 12 October 2023, Isaac Herzog

#Walla [Hebrew] https://news.walla.co.il/item/3646256

@israel
@palestine
#Eurovision
#EBU

The heated debate over Israel's participation in the #Eurovision reveals a deep-seated desire among Israelis to be seen as European. For a significant portion of the population originating as migrants and refugees from Eastern Europe, Israel served as a place to shed their "Oriental" identities and reinvent themselves. Like a manager at the startup #Wix notoriously demanded of its staff, who were encouraged to support Israel’s ‘narrative’ in #Hamas conflict:

“Show Westernity [...] unlike the Gazans, we look and live like Europeans or Americans” https://www.irishtimes.com/ireland/2023/10/24/internal-wix-chat-encouraged-staff-to-support-israels-narrative-in-hamas-conflict/

However, the inherent contradiction is that if Israel is accepted, or is part of Europe, or merely exists because of European #colonialism, then it's unavoidably also exposed as a colonial project.

This poignant opinion column, by Noa Limona, perpetuates the debate over Israel's empty symbolic gestures and its cynical exploitation of a grim reality of a forever-war.

"October Rain" well represents what Israel offers to the world. They're talking about a political solution to the conflict, a vision of "the day after", but what is the return that we offer? A vision devoid of vision, a solution devoid of solution, some moaning about our misery, "Haven't the Jewish people suffered enough?", and that's it. More of the same thing, which essentially contains nothing and nothing at all.

This is how we are perceived in the world, this is how the world sees us, and we have become repugnant to it.

"Writers of history," says the songless song, "stand by my side / Look into my eyes, and you will see."

You will see there is nothing there.

#Haaretz [Hebrew] https://www.haaretz.co.il/opinions/2024-02-26/ty-article-opinion/.highlight/0000018d-e0d1-d972-a5bf-ebd7da0a0000 or https://archive.md/ULBEX

@israel @palestine
#EBU

[cont'd] #Eurovision / EBU rejects second Israeli candidate

#Kan corporation sent another song for #EBU's consideration to represent #Israel at Eurovision, as part of the negotiations to approve a song that have been taking place in recent weeks.

The EBU signalled to the corporation that both songs are generally unacceptable to them, and the crisis regarding Israel's participation is very deep.

The lyrics of the song "To Dance Forever" include the chorus:

"To dance like an angel / You will remember / I will dance forever", as well as the lines in Hebrew "Hope does not stop it only spreads its wings / It is like a million stars that suddenly light up the skies".

#Haaretz https://www.haaretz.co.il/gallery/music/eurovision/2024-02-28/ty-article/.premium/0000018d-f01e-dd0a-afcf-ffde05560000 or https://archive.md/9GCaC

@israel
@palestine
#Nova

Bomb-signing #ICJ ruling special mention #Herzog knows being kicked out of the #Eurovision would be just the start for #Israel boycott in Europe

@israel
@palestine
#Cartoon

[cont’d] “Hurricane” leaked

[…] Despite trying to politicize their song on more than one occasion, #Israel have been allowed to participate in #Eurovision 2024. This is their song 'Hurricane' that #Kan will officially present tonight, so you don't have to give them or their official upload a view.

https://twitter.com/CrystalBallESC/status/1766731988721946986

@israel
@palestine