• Varyk@sh.itjust.works
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    4 months ago

    That’s a weird byline for BBC to offer, tldr:

    Israel has a song with veiled references to the October 7th Hamas attack, Eurovision has a very strict policy on zero political implications in performed songs, Israel says that if the song isn’t performed, then they cannot compete.

    Not that they will not or do not want to or are starting a boycott, just that if their song is not approved, they won’t replace it and therefore cannot compete.

    Which is fine.

    The spin seems unnecessary.

  • Hyperreality@kbin.social
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    4 months ago

    I don’t think Israel actually wants to compete this year, tbh. We all know the vote ain’t gonna be pretty. Don’t think the Eurovision organisation want them to compete either, too much controversy, but they don’t want the fallout from actually banning them.

    So the EBC will be strict on their conditions, while still claiming not to have banned them, and Israel can get to withdraw out of principle. Win win.

    • Ephera@lemmy.ml
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      4 months ago

      Seems to me like just a clickbaity headline. The article reads more like they’re simply stating they’d rather not participate than change the song, whether anyone cares about their participation or not.

    • Omgarm@lemmy.world
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      4 months ago

      They usually are a decent entry so quality wise it would be. But morally it would not be.

      • livus@kbin.social
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        4 months ago

        This year’s entry sounds pretty horrendous:

        Described as a “moving and powerful ballad” the song is based around the refrain “I’m still wet from this October rain”.

        In the verse, Golan sings: “Who told you boys don’t cry/ Hours and hours/ And flowers/ Life is not a game for the cowards.”

        The reference to flowers is significant, according to Israel Hayom, as it is military slang for war fatalities.

        The song then ends in Hebrew: “There’s no air left to breathe/ There’s no place/ No me, from day to day.”

    • Microw@lemm.ee
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      4 months ago

      It’s abit more complicated. Russia wasnt banned from participating in the Song Contest itself. Rather, the EBU has suspended the Russian broadcasters’ memberships because of finding them spread propaganda. Which automatically means they cant participate.

      In the case of Israel, if theh want to look into suspending Kan they need to find evidence that the broadcaster is not holding up to the standards of public broadcasting. And EBU hasn’t done so in the cases of Turkey’s TRT, Azerbaijan’s broadcasters and similar cases where the country clearly has been committing war crimes recently.

    • feedum_sneedson@lemmy.world
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      4 months ago

      You’re not allowed, they were attacked first and they’re Jewish. But they should really stop with the scorched earth tactics, if that’s what’s actually happening - I don’t know what reports to believe.