Eurovision Was Traditionally a Lighthearted Spectacle – But It Has Become a Cynical Way to Gloss Over Warfare.
A recent initialism emerged several months after the start of Israel’s bombardment of Gaza. Known as WCNSF, it means “Injured child with no living relatives”. This term is found only in Gaza, per insights from doctors including paediatricians. Typically, it is rare for medical staff to care for a young patient who has seen the death of their complete family. Yet, there has been no semblance of normality about the genocide in Gaza, where complete genealogies have been wiped out and the number of young amputees is greater than that of any other place in the world. Nothing ordinary about many doctors coming back from a landscape of rubble with reports of children being deliberately targeted.
A Living Nightmare Despite a Announced Cessation of Hostilities
Gaza remains a profound humanitarian disaster. Vital medicines and equipment are being blocked those in need, and groups like Amnesty International have stated that genocidal acts are ongoing. Authorities has denied these allegations, just as it disavows each claim it is accused of. Yet as traumatised orphans are now freezing in makeshift tent camps, there is a little heartwarming news: apparently nothing is going to stop the international singing competition from continuing with its declared purpose of “togetherness and cultural exchange.” Organizers will continue to roll out a prestigious stage for Israel, despite the fact that a number of European countries have now pulled out in protest. And this, it seems, is what international harmony looks like.
Historically, Eurovision banned Russia from taking part in 2022 due to the “grave situation in Ukraine”. However, the situation in Gaza is completely different.
A Double Standard
Overlook the circumstance that Israel was alleged to have used unfair vote practices last year in what seems to have been an bid to politicise Eurovision. Forget the fact that a three-year-old girl was reportedly killed in Gaza on a recent Sunday. Pay no mind to the evidence that attacks by settlers and forced displacement in the West Bank have increased dramatically. Overlook the situation that international journalists are still prevented from unfettered access in Gaza. All of this, evidently, should be seen as a barrier of Eurovision’s much-touted ethos of unity.
The Show Goes On While Ignoring Unimaginable Suffering
Eurovision turns 70 next year – nearly twice the current lifespan of a person in Gaza now. The show may go on, but it will likely never recapture the camp joy it once represented. A competition that initially championed togetherness has now become a blatant mechanism to sanitize military aggression.
