Every year since 2007, OGAE International conducts the OGAE Poll, which includes the votes of its members from 42 different countries. After two countries submitted their votes, it is now Israel’s turn to cast its votes.
The representatives of nine countries participating in this year’s Eurovision Song Contest have publiced a joint statement regarding what is happening in Gaza. More specifically, they are asking for ceasefire for permament peace to prevail and for the hostages to return in Israel. It is worth noting that they refer to Gaza as occupied Palestinian territories by Israel.
Down bellow you can read the statement:
” We want to begin by acknowledging the privilege of taking part in Eurovision.
In light of the current situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, and particulary in Gaza, and in Israel, we do not feel comfortable being silent. It is important to us to stand in solidarity with the oppressed and communicate our heartfelt wish for peace, and immediate and lasting ceasefire, and the safe return of all hostages. We stand united against all forms of hate, including antisemitism and connections.
We feel that it is our duty to create and uphold this space, with a strong hope that it will inspire greater compassion and empathy.”
The announcement is signed by the representatives of nine countries, mainly from those that had reactions to Israel’s participation in this year’s Eurovision Song Contest and these are:
The announcement was then posted by Belgium’s representative, Mustii, on his social media.
Δείτε αυτή τη δημοσίευση στο Instagram.
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Malmö is currently evaluating the current situation caused by the ongoing Middle-Eastern conflict, hence, is discussing the ways of making the forthcoming Eurovision Song Contest as safe as possible.
Israel‘s confirmed participation in Eurovision is stirring emotional protests around Europe. Intensive work is being done on security for the Eurovision Song Contest, to be held this May in Malmö, Sweden. Ulf Nilsson, the Head of Security and Preparedness at the city of Malmö., said on an interview with P4 Malmöhus:
“Many people are contributing to make this a reputation-proof event. We’re broadly working with many different scenarios. We’re working very closely with the police, SVT, Region Skåne, the Traffic Department.”
Last weekend, a Eurovision sign outside Malmö Live was vandalized and has now been protected with wax. The vandalism was discovered in the early hours of the morning. On the base of the sign, someone has written “Free Gaza” and smeared it with red paint. Even on the digital sign that says “United by music” and “We are one“, someone has thrown paint.
Several individuals have already applied for permission from the police to demonstrate during Eurovision in protest against Israel and their Eurovision Song Contest participation.
“We see that many have opinions about Israel’s participation and we understand that. We’re closely monitoring the situation. Of course, this will be taken into account in our work.”
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Source: Sveriges Radio/P4 Malmöhus/Sofie Dahlstedt
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According to the Icelandic press the Israeli broadcaster KAN is behind the campaign against Bashar Murad.
The Israeli Yogev Segal who organized the campaign against Bashar Murad in Söngvakeppnin, Iceland’s selection show for the Eurovision Song Contest, according to the Icelandic website MANNLÍF, is an employee of Israel’s public broadcaster. Yogev Segal is the founder of a Facebook discussion group for Icelanders who support Israel.
Yogev Segal seems to have urged all members of this group to vote for Hera Björk in the final of Söngvakeppnin 2024. That is, he suggested that Israel’s supporters in Iceland should urge as many people as possible to vote for Hera Björk’s song. It was, according to him, the safest way to ensure that there would be no Palestinian on the stage of the competition in Sweden in May.
Within the aforementioned group, Segal admits to working for Israel’s state television, KAN, which, like the Icelandic one, is responsible for Israel’s participation in Eurovison. He suggests that reporting on his campaign is grist to the conspiracy theory mill. Finally he claims that Israel had no interest in the Icelandic national final.
For the record, Söngvakeppnin 2024 was won by Hera Björk with the song “Scared of Heights”, however this year the participation of the country is not considered certain, as the issue of the conflict in the Middle East between Israel and Palestine and the participation of the former in the competition is a point of friction in Iceland’s public sphere. The final decision on whether the island of ice and fire in Malmö will take part is expected today.
Source: SAMSTÖÐIN
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After submitting two songs recorded by Eden Golan, both of which were rejected by the EBU regarding their lyrics, KAN, the Israeli public brodcaster decided to change the lyrics of their initial choice, “October Rain”, and re-submit it for Eurovision 2024! Read more
RTÉ is bombarded by emails urging the boycott of the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest given the participation of Israel!
The national broadcaster has received over 1400 emails calling for a boycott of the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 most of which RTÉ says are related to Israel’s participation.
In addition, the organization itself states that the emails started on January 26, that is, the day when the national final of Ireland, The Late Late Show Eurosong special, was held, emphasizing, however, that about 1000 of them were copy-pastes.
One spokeperson of RTÉ commented that:
“Same content, signed and sent by different emailers”
Calls for Israel to be excluded by Eurovision 2024 organizers due to military operations in the Palestinian territory of Gaza are related to the European Broadcasting Union’s decision to exclude Russia in 2022 due to military operations in Ukraine.
Ireland will be represented at this year’s competition in Malmö by Bambie Thug and the song “Doomsday Blue”. The country will compete in the first half of the first semi-final on 7 May in a bid for one of the ten tickets to the grand final on Saturday 11 May.
https://youtu.be/ZGRXRrlIspY
Source: Irish Independent
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The European Broadcasting Union, EBU, expresses its concerns regarding the new threats against the indepedance and the sustainability of the Israeli public broadcaster KAN!
One month ago, the Minister of Communications Shlomo Karhi seems to have stated that “there is no place for public broadcasting in the State of Israel”.
Moreover, the Government threatened to withdraw the fundings towards the piblic broadcaster something that would lead to the shut down of the KAN and the news operation and to an important loss of jobs.
In addition, there are also plans of depriving KAN’s ability for commercial revenue, which would lead to 13% income reduction, and of transfering three of the most popular radio stations to commercial owners.
The current crisis has been escalated as the Minister of Communications through a letter towards the Director General of KAN questions their reporting of the government’s judicial reforms and the protests against them.
The Director General of EBU Noel Curran stated that:
“Impartial news and information are critical to the functioning of a healthy democracy.
“We call on the Israeli government to safeguard the independence of our Member KAN and ensure it is allowed to operate in a sustainable way, with funding that is both stable, adequate, fair, and transparent.”
Source: EBU
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An estimated 1,500 to 2,000 people have gathered at Odenplan in Stockholm for the demonstration, according to a police officer on site. The procession went to Gustav Adolfs Torg where the Ministry for Foreign Affairs has its office.
In the procession, several Palestinian flags were seen and the demonstrators chanted several slogans for Palestine.
Many had pictures of watermelons – a symbol of Palestinian struggle, and from the back of a car the demonstrators were urged to try to coup watermelons into the Melodifestivalen‘s TV broadcasts again, as two activists did last week. Per Hussein, who is involved in arranging the demonstration, says:
“The watermelon is a symbol of freedom and justice. The only people who would oppose such a symbol are those who stand against freedom and justice, and I don’t see why anyone would want to do that.”
Several of the demonstrators carried placards with messages about Israel’s Eurovision participation. Protester Lubna al Sheikhly said:
“Everyone agreed that Russia should not be involved. Now, after the deaths of 30,000 children, Israel is allowed to participate. This is not right.”
The Eurovision organizer EBU‘s position is that the music competition is not between countries, but between public service broadcasters and that Israel‘s companies have not violated the contest rules.
There have been calls to ban Israel from Eurovision 2024, like 1000 Swedish musicians that signed today a petition to the EBU against Israel outside NRK right during the first two weeks of MGP. In Iceland, more than 500 artists signed a petition asking RÚV to withdraw from the contest, while Silvia Night signed an open letter to the EBU asking to ban Israel. In Finland, 1300 artists signed a petition asking for Israel to be removed. The British representative Olly Alexander has also shared in public his opinion against Israel. Also just recently Montaigne signed an open letter to the EBU asking the ban of Israel from the contest and Ben Dolic joined her by doing the same.
Source: Aftonbladet
Photo: Peter Wixtröm/Aftonbladet
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The issue of Israel’s participation in the Eurovision Song Contest has devided the entertainment industry since the beginning of the new war conflict between Israel and Palestine.
In an open letter, published on the website of the organization Creative Community for Peace, a number of international figures support the EBU’s decision to let the country compete normally in the upcoming Contest.
Over 400 people from the entertainment industry support Israel’s participation in the Eurovision Song Contest. Among them many well-known names, such as Helen Mirren, Gene Simmons, Boy George, Debra Messing, Mayim Bialik, Sharon Osbourne, Diane Warren and Liev Schreiber. All of them believe that the competition should be a place of consensus and that it should not be used as a political tool.
“We believe that unifying events such as singing competitions are essential to help bridge cultural differences and bring people from different backgrounds together through the love for music”
Slovenia: RTV SLO to Seek EBU and Council Members’ Opinion on Israel’s Participation in the Contest!
Source: expressen.se
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Following a plea from the Palestinian Rights Movement to the management of Slovenia’s public broadcaster, RTV SLO, there’s now a call to exclude Israel from the Eurovision. Specifically, 25 members of the European Parliament requested the cancellation of the decision allowing Israel’s participation in the upcoming contest in May in Malmö.
Several non-governmental and trade union organizations, Slovenian cultural figures, and artists, including some former Slovenian Eurovision representatives, signed the call by the Palestinian Rights Movement.
RTV SLO responded to their request, stating:
“The majority of the global audience is closely following events in Gaza. The EBU has already explained twice that the participants in the Eurovision Song Contest are public broadcasters, not countries.”
However, they added that they would still urge the EBU and its members to conduct a substantive discussion on the matter.
Raiven will represent Slovenia in Malmö this coming May with the song “Veronika,” entirely in Slovenian. She will compete in the second half of the First Semi-Final on May 7th.
Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for all the developments regarding Slovenia’s participation in the Eurovision 2024 in Malmö!
Source: RTV SLO
