Boycott Israel's 'artwashed' Eurovision 2019, pro-Palestinian activists say

[rooster59]

Boycott Israel's 'artwashed' Eurovision 2019, pro-Palestinian activists say

By Rami Ayyub

 

A Palestinian boy looks on as a graffiti on boycotting Israel is seen on a wall in Bethlehem in the Israeli-occupied West Bank November 3, 2018. Picture taken November 3, 2018. REUTERS/Stephen Farrell

 

TEL AVIV, Israel (Reuters) - As Tel Aviv gears up to host the Eurovision Song Contest, pro-Palestinian activists are urging performers to pull out of this year's competition - while the 2018 Israeli winner said she didn't believe in boycotts.

 

The call by the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement is part of a broader campaign to pressure governments, companies, performers and academics to disengage from Israel.

 

The movement sees Eurovision "as artwashing - whitewashing through arts" of what it calls Israel’s decades-old regime of military occupation and colonialism, its co-founder Omar Barghouti told Reuters in the West Bank city of Ramallah.

 

"We take this Eurovision issue very seriously," he said. "We are very conscious of how the Israeli government is dying to have such a mega cultural event."

 

Israel was chosen to host the 42-nation contest after local singer Netta Barzilai won last year in Portugal with "Toy", propelling her to international stardom. The winning country customarily hosts the following year.

 

"I believe in protest, it's ok. I don't believe in boycotting," the 26-year-old told Reuters. "Eurovision is a European contest, it's not Israel, it's a worldwide thing... I encourage other people to come and take part."

 

On Tuesday the BDS appeal received support from British celebrities including fashion designer Vivienne Westwood, actresses Julie Christie and Maxine Peake and singer Peter Gabriel.

 

They were among 50 signatories of a letter to left-leaning newspaper The Guardian calling on the BBC to "press for Eurovision to be relocated to a country where crimes against that freedom are not being committed."

 

So far no participating countries have pulled out of the May 18 event, and Israel says it is preparing measures to counter demonstrations.

 

"Israel is fully aware that anti-Israel BDS activists will try to disrupt Eurovision," said foreign ministry spokesman Emmanuel Nahshon. "We will open our doors to all, as long as those people do not come here as enemies."

 

Israel calls international boycotts, including of its settlements in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, discriminatory and anti-Semitic.

 

Barghouti rejected those labels, saying the movement "categorically and on principle rejects all forms of racism.” Many BDS supporters were Jewish, he said.

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-02-02

 

 

[Jingthing]

No.

The show must go on.

Don't boycott.

Netta won Eurovision so the next show goes to Israel.

Those are the rules.

Also, who's calling Eurovision art?

 

Coming to Tel Aviv from France. Some call him the Arab in a wig. I call him FABULOUS.

 

 

[sirineou]

When did Israel move to Europe?

[Jingthing]

8 minutes ago, sirineou said:

When did Israel move to Europe?

Sooner than Australia did. Do you actually follow Eurovision and it's rules of inclusion? 

[sanemax]

7 minutes ago, sirineou said:

When did Israel move to Europe?

The competition isnt just for European Countries , all "nice" Countries are allowed to enter

[Jingthing]

4 minutes ago, sanemax said:

The competition isnt just for European Countries , all "nice" Countries are allowed to enter

That's cute but not true either. If that were the case, Eurovision would always be held in the world capital of nice -- Canada (not in Eurovision). Sorry!

[sirineou]

10 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

Sooner than Australia did. Do you actually follow Eurovision and it's rules of inclusion? 

no

[Jingthing]

2 minutes ago, sirineou said:

no

Then I guess you're not gay. 

Inclusion is based on broadcasting, not geography. 

[poohy]

It basically utter tripe to put it nicely

The last eurovision i saw Bucks Fizz won it i still remember the skirts coming off

 

I think that was few years ago!

[Jingthing]

1 minute ago, poohy said:

It basically utter tripe to put it nicely

The last eurovision i saw Bucks Fizz won it i still remember the skirts coming off

 

I think that was few years ago!

One man's tripe is another man's camp. 

[White Christmas13]

20 minutes ago, sanemax said:

The competition isnt just for European Countries , all "nice" Countries are allowed to enter

is that the reason Thailand is not in it?

[poohy]

6 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

One man's tripe is another man's camp. 

Nothing against any person gender or what not that likes it, i seriously did not think it was still going.

So I guess its "null punt for little old moi"

[sirineou]

1 minute ago, Jingthing said:

Then I guess you're not gay. 

At my age, I would say I am mostly asexual.

PS: it was the Euro part that confused me , but I guess if an earth girl can be miss Universe to the exclusion of any competition from Alpha Century and Omicron Persei 8   , a middle easterner can enter a Eurovision  competition.       Perhaps it is time Eurovision changed its name to Omnivision or perhaps just Vision.

[Jingthing]

4 minutes ago, poohy said:

Nothing against any person gender or what not that likes it, i seriously did not think it was still going.

So I guess its "null punt for little old moi"

Not only is it still going it's becoming popular in the USA which of course will never be in it.

[Jingthing]

More to the topic originally Israel wanted to hold this Eurovision in Jerusalem. Politically that was really pushing it and if they had sticked to that I think it probably wouldn't have happened. But they caved to do it in Tel Aviv and it's hard to think of a better fit for a city for Eurovision than Tel Aviv. Eurovision is supporting this to go on and opposing any boycotts. It's going to happen BDSers, just deal with it. Better yet just take a little break and enjoy the shows!

 

2015 Tel Aviv themed Israel entry that SHOULD have won --

 

[evadgib]

1 hour ago, Jingthing said:

One man's tripe is another man's camp. 

'cept this is more camp than a boy-scout jamboree ????

[DaddyWarbucks]

The Israeli leadership will be shooting themselves in the foot - yet again - if they host Eurovision 2019.

It will become a lightning-rod for protests from anti-apartheid activists from all over the world.

Non-violent action can be expected from most, but the event will have to be protected against bitter fanatics as well. People who have had their land taken by theft or who have lost friends and family in this never ending conflict.

It has all the makings of a public relations disaster for the hardline Zionists who run the country.

 

[Pilotman]

good grief, does anyone actually still watch that crap? It may be 'music' of a kind, but not as we know it. 

[sanemax]

15 minutes ago, DaddyWarbucks said:

The Israeli leadership will be shooting themselves in the foot - yet again - if they host Eurovision 2019.

It will become a lightning-rod for protests from anti-apartheid activists from all over the world.

Non-violent action can be expected from most, but the event will have to be protected against bitter fanatics as well. People who have had their land taken by theft or who have lost friends and family in this never ending conflict.

It has all the makings of a public relations disaster for the hardline Zionists who run the country.

 

I cannot see many people travelling to Israel , just to protest against the Eurovision song contest , besides the anti-Israel protests are no longer in fashion , could be that the recent Islamic terrorist attacks had made protesters think twice  about supporting Palestinians ?

[Jingthing]

28 minutes ago, Pilotman said:

good grief, does anyone actually still watch that crap? It may be 'music' of a kind, but not as we know it. 

Yes! The audience is massive both by broadcast and streaming.

But you might enjoy this critique --

Quote

Eurovision 2018: the joke is finally wearing a bit thin

https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/celebrity/eurovision-2018-the-joke-is-finally-wearing-a-bit-thin-20180514-p4zf68.html

 

[JulesMad]

I boycott the Eurovision Song Festival since it started... For me, it has nothing to do with music and everything with show. That is what the masses want

[Guest Jerry787]

shall boycott whatever comes from Israel for horrible genocide such Country is doing again Palestinians and the illegal land grabs

[sanemax]

1 hour ago, Jerry787 said:

shall boycott whatever comes from Israel for horrible genocide such Country is doing again Palestinians and the illegal land grabs

There are numerous inventions coming from  Israel , make sure that you dont pick and choose what you boycott , make sure that you boycott everything , including all the medical discoveries .

   Here are some Israel discoveries from 2017 , that you will need to avoid

 

https://www.israel21c.org/13-of-the-biggest-health-breakthroughs-in-israel-in-2017/

[Jingthing]

20 minutes ago, sanemax said:

There are numerous inventions coming from  Israel , make sure that you dont pick and choose what you boycott , make sure that you boycott everything , including all the medical discoveries .

   Here are some Israel discoveries from 2017 , that you will need to avoid

 

https://www.israel21c.org/13-of-the-biggest-health-breakthroughs-in-israel-in-2017/

For all her problems, Israel is a truly amazing success story, much of the Jewish people returning to their ancestral homeland after so many centuries in the diaspora.  A dead ancient language Hebrew reborn as a modern spoken language. Successfully transitioned from basically a necessarily socialist state in the early decades into a modern, dynamic capitalist system.  All Israelis, left/right/Jews/Arabs should be proud to be Israeli, proud of Netta, and proud to host Eurovision 2019. Let the BDS haters stew in their own bile. 

 

Yalla Bye!

[Spidey]

On ‎2‎/‎2‎/‎2019 at 2:42 PM, Jingthing said:

That's cute but not true either. If that were the case, Eurovision would always be held in the world capital of nice -- Canada (not in Eurovision). Sorry!

But a Canadian has won it.

[sanemax]

20 minutes ago, Spidey said:

But a Canadian has won it.

Who was that ?

[Jingthing]

44 minutes ago, sanemax said:

Who was that ?

 

[Galactus]

cool move. hope more to follow.

and hope they cancel the euro vision event in Israel which is not even in europe!

all those deaths resulted by Israel and like nothing is happening, they allowed Israel to do the eurovision! what a shame!

[TooPoopedToPop]

On ‎2‎/‎3‎/‎2019 at 9:41 AM, DaddyWarbucks said:

The Israeli leadership will be shooting themselves in the foot - yet again - if they host Eurovision 2019.

It will become a lightning-rod for protests from anti-apartheid activists from all over the world.

Non-violent action can be expected from most, but the event will have to be protected against bitter fanatics as well. People who have had their land taken by theft or who have lost friends and family in this never ending conflict.

It has all the makings of a public relations disaster for the hardline Zionists who run the country.

 

Agreed.  It's obvious.

Anyone who thinks otherwise is either hopelessly naive or pushing an agenda.

Providing security will be a formidible operation at the event itself, not to mention screening the incoming multitudes at Ben Gurion Airport. Will an entrance requirement be a sworn statement that the visitor doesn't support BDS?

The Likud government wants to show the world that their society is "normal" by hosting this glitzy extravaganza.

A better way of doing that would be to live within their 1967 borders and stop building illegal settlements on stolen land.

The old Zionist dream of Eretz Israel is as dead as a doornail.

[Jingthing]

The rules of Eurovision are that the winner's nation is supposed to host the next one. Netta of Israel won last year. Thus Eurovision will be in Israel this year just the same as when Austria won it and then hosted the next year. It's not a "Zionist" conspiracy. It's the rules of Eurovision being followed.