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Eurovision: Finnish artists want Israel barred from contest over Gaza war

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Over 1,400 Finnish music industry professionals have signed a petition urging the exclusion of Israel from the Eurovision Song Contest due to alleged “war crimes” in Gaza. They are also calling for Finland to withdraw from the competition if Israel is not banned. The petition highlights concerns about Israel participating in Eurovision to enhance its image, and it follows similar demands made by Icelandic musicians to their broadcaster Rúv.

Yle, the Finnish broadcaster, is currently monitoring the stance of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), the organizer of Eurovision. Signatories accuse Yle of double standards, pointing to its prompt call for a ban on Russia from the 2022 contest. Yle’s response suggests that the situation in Israel and Gaza is not considered equivalent to the inter-state aggression seen in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, according to Ville Vilén, a Yle representative.

The EBU has affirmed Israel’s participation in Eurovision, emphasizing that the event is for broadcasters, not governments, and that Israel’s public broadcaster, Kan, complies with all competition rules. Yle plans to engage with the petition’s authors, and the EBU has previously stated that Eurovision is a non-political event, with Israel’s participation spanning 50 years.

This year’s Eurovision is scheduled to take place in Malmö, Sweden, and the UK will be represented by pop star Olly Alexander. Alexander faced criticism for endorsing a statement accusing Israel of genocide, with Israel dismissing the arguments as “absurd” and attributing them to anti-Israel bias. The Gaza conflict, mentioned in the context of the petition, has resulted in a significant loss of lives, displacement, and humanitarian challenges in the region.

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Jamala: Ukrainian Eurovision winner added to Russia’s wanted list

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Ukrainian Eurovision song contest winner Jamala, whose real name is Susana Jamaladinova, has been added to Russia’s wanted list, according to state media. The accusations against her include spreading fake information about the Russian armed forces, a charge often used by the Kremlin against those critical of Russia’s actions. Jamala, known for openly criticizing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, was placed on the wanted list last month. The independent Russian human rights website Mediazona reported this, and details of the listing became widely known on Monday.

Russian breaking news Telegram channel Shot claimed that Jamala was added to the list for posting alleged “fakes” about atrocities in the Ukrainian town of Bucha in 2022. The Kremlin has denied responsibility for the Bucha massacre, despite evidence indicating Russian forces’ involvement. Jamala, currently in Australia after fleeing Ukraine with her family following the invasion, responded to the news by posting a photo of herself in front of the Sydney Opera House with a link to an article about it and a facepalm emoji.

Jamala won Eurovision in 2016 with the song “1944,” inspired by the forced deportation of her people, the Crimean Tatars, by Russia during that year. The song, perceived as addressing Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014, caused controversy for allegedly breaking the competition’s rule against overtly political songs. However, organizers allowed it, and it ultimately won, defeating Russia. Jamala, in her 40s, has been vocal about using her music to give a strong voice to her homeland, Crimea, and to counter the historical narratives propagated by the Russian Empire and Soviet Union. She emphasized the importance of revealing the truth through her songs in her latest folk album, Qirim.

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Eurovision’s Noisy Fans are Back Despite Dutch Pandemic

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Europe’s most popular cultural event Eurovision had been canceled last year due to the pandemic. Reports state that it is to go ahead this year in Rotterdam even though the Netherlands is battling a third wave of the pandemic.

Organizers are adamant that Eurovision 2021 can be conducted safely. They say it can bring hope and signal the start of Europe’s long-anticipated revival of live events. Performers and their delegations will take part along with a maximum of 3,500 audiences.

Tickets are only available to those who bought them for the 2020 canceled show, and there will be none to the wider public. All visitors will have to show negative test results no more than 24 hours old to enter the arena.

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Netherlands wins the Eurovision 2019 Song contest

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Duncan Laurence of Netherlands has won the 2019 Eurovision Song Contest. His ‘Arcade’, the doleful piano ballad is the contest winning song.

Arcade was tapped as an early front-runner before Saturday’s Grand Final. But for securing the country’s fifth win in the competition it had to achieve high ranking in the fan voting.

The second position has gone to Italy. Russia, Switzerland and Norway got the next positions in this most awaited competition.

26 nations around the world competed for winning the title for Europe’s best pop singer. Europe’s ultimate pop extravaganza is hosting the Queen of Pop.

“Here’s to dreaming big, this is to music first, always”, said Laurence.

“In the live broadcast of the Eurovision Song Contest Grand Final, two of Madonna’s dancers briefly displayed the Israeli and Palestinian flags on the back of their outfits”, said Eurovision.

“This element of the performance was not part of the rehearsals which had been cleared with the EBU and the host broadcaster, KAN. The Eurovision Song Contest is a non-political event and Madonna had been made aware of this” they added.

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