Eurovision Used to Be a Whimsical Delight – Yet It Has Evolved Into a Cynical Way to Whitewash War.
A recent acronym surfaced a couple of months into the military campaign against Gaza. Referred to as WCNSF, it stands for “Wounded child, no surviving family”. This designation is unique to Gaza, per insights from health professionals like child health specialists. Normally, it is rare for doctors to care for a child who has seen the death of their whole family. But, there has been no semblance of normality regarding the genocide in Gaza, where complete genealogies have been obliterated and the number of young amputees is greater than that of anywhere else in the world. Nothing normal about many doctors returning from a landscape of rubble with accounts of children being systematically aimed at.
An Unimaginable Crisis In Spite Of a Announced Cessation of Hostilities
Conditions in Gaza persist as a profound humanitarian disaster. Vital medicines and equipment are failing to reach those in need, and international watchdogs assert that atrocities are still being committed. The Israeli government disputes these accusations, just as it disavows each claim it is charged with. But while grieving children who lost parents are now freezing in temporary shelters, there is a piece of uplifting information: apparently nothing is going to stop the international singing competition from continuing with its stated mission of “togetherness and artistic sharing.” Organizers will continue to extend a welcoming platform for Israel, despite the fact that at least four European countries have now boycotted in dissent. Because this, apparently, is what global togetherness manifests as.
The contest, notably prohibited Russia from taking part in 2022 because of the “serious conflict in Ukraine”. Yet the conflict in Gaza seems completely different.
Contradictory Principles
Forget the fact that Israel was accused of unfair vote practices last year in what seems to have been an effort to manipulate Eurovision. Set aside the news that a young child was allegedly fatally struck in Gaza just days ago. Forget the fact that settler violence and forced displacement in the West Bank have increased dramatically. Overlook the situation that global media are still prevented from independent reporting in Gaza. This entire context, apparently, should be allowed to get in the way of Eurovision’s self-proclaimed spirit of unity.
The Show Goes On Amidst Unimaginable Suffering
Eurovision turns 70 next year – almost double the current lifespan of a person in Gaza today. The event will proceed, but it will never be able to restore the whimsical pleasure it historically embodied. An institution that was originally built on peace has devolved into a cynical way to sanitize military aggression.