Current Events > The Eurovision countries are splintering over Israel's participation.

(+) Yeah! (+)

Spain, Ireland, Slovenia, Belgium, Iceland, Albania, Sweden, Finland and the Netherlands have expressed different levels of wanting Israel out.

Meanwhile Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Austria, Greece, Cyprus and Azerbaijan are expressing support for Israel.

A decision about whether Israel will be banned or not is supposed to come in December.

...what is this about? Im assuming this is about FIFA but I'm not sure

France isn't part of eurovision?

sephiroth068 posted...

...what is this about? Im assuming this is about FIFA but I'm not sure

It is about the Eurovision Song Contest which is one of the oldest TV-shows in the world and the very first international music competition. It has aired every year since 1956 except for 2020, but the decision to cancel the show because of the pandemic came just two months before it was gonna take place so all countries had selected their entries.

Each country sends an original song which cant be longer than 3 minutes and you cant have more than 6 people on stage.

Famous winners include ABBA, Celine Dion and Mneskin. They all rose to international fame after winning.

sephiroth068 posted...

...what is this about? Im assuming this is about FIFA but I'm not sure

Its a song competition where each nation in Europe competes

saspa posted...

France isn't part of eurovision?

They are, but havent said anything yet. Around 40 countries take part.

I'm sorry, Azerbaijan is for Israel's inclusion?

Xenogears15 posted...

I'm sorry, Azerbaijan is for Israel's inclusion?

It surprised me too. I guess dictators gotta stick together.

I cannot help but notice Switzerland actually picked a side. The side of Israel no less.

Romania?

BalanceLost posted...

It is about the Eurovision Song Contest which is one of the oldest TV-shows in the world and the very first international music competition. It has aired every year since 1956 except for 2020, but the decision to cancel the show because of the pandemic came just two months before it was gonna take place so all countries had selected their entries.

Each country sends an original song which cant be longer than 3 minutes and you cant have more than 6 people on stage.

Famous winners include ABBA, Celine Dion and Mneskin. They all rose to international fame after winning.

Zikten posted...

Its a song competition where each nation in Europe competes

Ah I see. Wasn't aware this was a thing. Cool that I learned something new today

Russia was banned for invading a nation, Israel is doing a holocaust, and they are still allowed?

Cheater87 posted...

Russia was banned for invading a nation, Israel is doing a holocaust, and they are still allowed?

Israel gets away with a lot, because it's Israel.

Israel isn't even in Europe.

__starsnostars posted...

Israel isn't even in Europe.

Several countries that aren't are allowed to compete.
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/4/414145b2.jpg
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_in_the_Eurovision_Song_Contest

The fact that some countries are opposing Isreal's participation gives me a small sliver of hope that eventually enough of the world will have Isreal's leader answer for his actions.

Xenogears15 posted...

I'm sorry, Azerbaijan is for Israel's inclusion?

What's surprising, Azerbaijan is pretty staunchly pro-Israel.

On the one hand, the years where Israel have done well (like with Dana International or Netta) have been the years where their acts have stood up to prejudice and the stereotypes of their nation, and I will never be opposed to the power of music, or of Eurovision as a whole, to say "fuck what people think I should be, I love myself and I love you all." The whole point of the show each year is about coming together and about love, and about embracing the our differences and turning them into commonalities for one night.

But on the other hand, fuck anyone who isn't prepared to enter into the show with the spirit of love, and I am fully on board with any protests/boycotts that are going on, because any attempt to subvert Eurovision into anything other than a night that brings us all together absolutely goes against the spirit of the whole thing, and anyone who embraces that can go to hell

Wtf? Cline Dion won it once? I thought the singers needed to be from the country they represent.

EpicMickeyDrew posted...

Romania?

They stopped competing a few years ago for financial reasons.

These are the 37 countries that competed this year. Eurovision is always in May.
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/5/52a2819d.jpg

sephiroth068 posted...

Ah I see. Wasn't aware this was a thing. Cool that I learned something new today

Always fun to learn new things! It is watched by 160-200 million people.

Cheater87 posted...

Russia was banned for invading a nation, Israel is doing a holocaust, and they are still allowed?

Russia invaded another member of the EBU so banning them was easy for the EBU for that reason alone.

TomClark posted...

On the one hand, the years where Israel have done well (like with Dana International or Netta) have been the years where their acts have stood up to prejudice and the stereotypes of their nation, and I will never be opposed to the power of music, or of Eurovision as a whole, to say "fuck what people think I should be, I love myself and I love you all." The whole point of the show each year is about coming together and about love, and about embracing the our differences and turning them into commonalities for one night.

But on the other hand, fuck anyone who isn't prepared to enter into the show with the spirit of love, and I am fully on board with any protests/boycotts that are going on, because any attempt to subvert Eurovision into anything other than a night that brings us all together absolutely goes against the spirit of the whole thing, and anyone who embraces that can go to hell

Very beautifully and so spot on. Israel is trying to use Eurovision as a way to paint a picture of support for their genocide and therefore they must go.

Tanthalas posted...

Wtf? Cline Dion won it once? I thought the singers needed to be from the country they represent.

Nope, there are no such contest wide rules. A competing country could choose to have that as a requirement to represent them however but I dont think anyone do. Some have a rule that at least one songwriter must be from their country though.

BalanceLost posted...

Very beautifully and so spot on. Israel is trying to use Eurovision as a way to paint a picture of support for their genocide and therefore they must go.

100% agreed.

Won't be watching myself this year if Israel is allowed to attend.

Funkydog posted...

100% agreed.

Won't be watching myself this year if Israel is allowed to attend.

Same.

Netanyahu's propaganda filth causes an irresistible urge to vomit.

Tanthalas posted...

Wtf? Cline Dion won it once? I thought the singers needed to be from the country they represent.

Not only that, they really love to hire Swedish songwriters.
Azerbaijan won in 2011 with a song made by a a swede as an example.

This could turn into another 1970 ESC, but for a better reason at least.

Breaking news:

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/9/903c9ffe.jpg

Thompson posted...

This could turn into another 1970 ESC, but for a better reason at least.

Indeed!

Interesting how Israel is being given two options on this. I'd prefer these types of events not to be political, but as with other multicultural events such as the Olympics, that is probably a fool's dream. Hopefully whatever ends up happening doesn't keep the artists from participating though.

Woeful_Nienna posted...

Interesting how Israel is being given two options on this. I'd prefer these types of events not to be political, but as with other multicultural events such as the Olympics, that is probably a fool's dream. Hopefully whatever ends up happening doesn't keep the artists from participating though.

Guess who keeps trying to make Eurovision political by slipping propaganda into the lyrics of their entry?

If you didn't want it to be political, you would have to ban Israel.

ai123 posted...

Guess who keeps trying to make Eurovision political by slipping propaganda into the lyrics of their entry?

If you didn't want it to be political, you would have to ban Israel.

Hence why I called it a "fool's dream".

This applies to far more than just Israel at any rate. The tragedies and history of countries makes for the spice of a lot of the greatest of art. Politics and current events goes with that as well.

I still hope the artists from Israel can perform in some capacity.

Woeful_Nienna posted...

I still hope the artists from Israel can perform in some capacity.

No idea how this will go down, but this may be relevant...

In 2017, the Russian singer Julia Samoylova was selected to represent Russia at the Eurovision Song Contest, which was being held in Kyiv, Ukraine. However, Ukrainian authorities banned Samoylova from entering the country because she had previously performed in Crimea in 2015. Under Ukrainian law, entry into Crimea through Russia is considered illegal, as Ukraine views Crimea as territory that has been illegally occupied by Russia since 2014.

In response to the travel ban, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) proposed a compromise solution that would have allowed Samoylova to perform her song remotely via satellite from a location outside of Ukraine. This proposal was intended to preserve Russias participation in the contest without violating Ukrainian law.

However, the Russian state broadcaster Channel One rejected the EBUs offer. They insisted that the ban was politically motivated and refused any alternative to a live performance in Ukraine. As a result, Russia chose to withdraw entirely from the 2017 contest, and its entry did not appear in the competition that year.

Of course Russia was banned entirely after the current Ukraine invasion started.

Woeful_Nienna posted...

Interesting how Israel is being given two options on this. I'd prefer these types of events not to be political, but as with other multicultural events such as the Olympics, that is probably a fool's dream. Hopefully whatever ends up happening doesn't keep the artists from participating though.

Eurovision has always been pretty political tbf.

Funkydog posted...

Eurovision has always been pretty political tbf.

You're not wrong. Eurovision is officially apolitical, but politics frequently surface through song themes and staging, audience reactions, and decisions on which countries can attend despite the artists having zero say on what their country of origin does.

Woeful_Nienna posted...

You're not wrong. Eurovision is officially apolitical, but politics frequently surface through song themes and staging, audience reactions, and decisions on which countries can attend despite the artists having zero say on what their country of origin does.

They do, however, have a say on whether or not they choose to represent their nation.

Charged151 posted...

Several countries that aren't are allowed to compete.
https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/4/414145b2.jpg
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_in_the_Eurovision_Song_Contest

way too many americans seem to think that "the middle east" is its own continent or something

they also have no idea that people like Indians and Pakistanis are Asian

thronedfire2 posted...

way too many americans seem to think that "the middle east" is its own continent or something

they also have no idea that people like Indians and Pakistanis are Asian

OK...? The point is countries not in Europe are allowed to complete. Countries in Africa, Asia, and Australia (a continent and country all in of itself) are included.

To compete, you must be a member of the European Broadcasting Area, and its boundaries have their origin in the regions served and linked by telegraphy cables in the 19th and early 20th centuries.
Australia was invited because Eurovision was extremely big down under.