The organizers of the future Eurovision Song Contest, in which Israel is participating, reiterated in a statement on Thursday that Israeli flags are not permitted at the event, and employees will remove them and any other” images, clothing, things, and flags” deemed inappropriate.
The Eurovision Song Contest ( ESC ) is an annual event in which participating countries — in 2024, 37 nations,  , including some non- European countries, such as Israel, Australia, and Armenia — submit an original song and accompanying musical performance. The best song is chosen by counties using judges and public call-in votes, and which country will host the event’s next edition. Created in the aftermath of World War II as a means of using culture to rebuild ties among European states, the European Broadcasting Union ( EBU), which hosts the competition, adheres to a strict” no politics” policy for participants.
” The ESC is a non- political event”, the official contest rules , read. The Host Broadcaster and all participating broadcasters are responsible for making sure that the ESC is never politicized, instrumentalized, or otherwise discredited.
The ban on politics applies to performers, song lyrics, hosts, special guests, and displays among crowd participants.
As a result of winning controversially in 2023 after losing the popular vote to Finland, Sweden is hosting 2024’s Eurovision Song Contest. The event will take place in Malmö, which has one of the country’s largest Muslim populations and has recently seen a rise in islamist activity. Anti-Israel organizations have announced plans to launch mass demonstrations in response to Israel’s participation in the contest.
The” Grand Final” will take place on May 11 and the two semi-finals will be held on May 9 and 9.
EBU communications director Michelle Roverelli reiterated that the only flags permitted at Eurovision are those of the participating nations and the rainbow flag associated with gay rights ( the Associated Press did not specify whether that includes updated flags representing all LGBTQIAP2S+ people or just the flag featuring only a rainbow ), asked by the Associated Press about the possibility of attendees bringing Palestinian flags into the contest to protest Israel.
” Palestine” is not a country and does not participate in the Eurovision Song Contest.
According to Roverelli, EBU organizers may “remove any other flags or symbols, clothing, items, and banners being used for the likely purpose of instrumentalizing the TV shows.”
The EBU has for years banned the Palestinian flag, so the rule is not an update. The flag became an issue in 2019 when Israel hosted the contest as a reigning champion, and the , band representing Iceland, Hatari, appeared on camera holding scarves featuring the flag and reading” Palestine”. The Icelandic public broadcaster was given a fine for organizing its presence at the song contest, but it did not specify how much.
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Following the country’s unprecedented terrorist attack on October 7, 2023, when terrorists with the Palestinian jihadist organization Hamas invaded and carried out a rampage of rape, torture, mass killing, and corpse desecration, Israel’s presence at the tournament sparked heightened outrage in 2024. Hamas terrorists, including United Nations employees, killed an estimated 1, 200 people in the attack.
Israel launched a self-defense military operation in Hamas ‘ Gaza Strip in response to the attack. A slew of international outrage, most notably from leftist sympathizers and Islamist groups, was the result of the operation. More than 1, 000 Swedish artists reacted to the protest’s at Eurovision in February by requesting that Israel be out of the competition.
” We believe that by allowing Israel’s participation, the EBU is demonstrating a remarkable double standard that undermines its credibility”, the letter the artists signed read. The inclusion of Israel in the contest undermines both the mission of the organization and the public service. Additionally, it demonstrates that war crimes can be committed without punishment.
Israel had intended to start the contest by introducing” October Rain,” a song in honor of the victims of the terrorist attack in October, but EBU officials decided the lyrics were too political and they had to have the lyrics changed. The EBU reportedly objected in particular to lyrics reading,” They were all good children, each one of them”, a reference to the children, including infants, that Hamas massacred.
The song’s original lyrics,” October Rain,” are being performed in Malmö by artist Eden Golan in the modified form,” Hurricane.”
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The Eurovision Song Contest has been designated as a “priority target” for terrorists by Swedish law enforcement, and they have pledged to take appropriate security measures to safeguard contestants. In addition to pro-Palestinian activists calling for mass demonstrations the day of the contest to protest Israel’s song, Euronews reported that police had revealed a group was planning to burn a group’s copy of the Quran prior to the song contest. The report did not specify whether the burning of the Quran was intended to coincide with the protests in Israel or a separate anti-Islamic statement.
” The security is going to be rigorous”, Petra Stenkula, head of the police area in Malmö, reportedly told Swedish television, according to Euronews.
In an ostensible vote of no confidence, the Israeli government issued a warning to its citizens on Thursday to generally avoid the event. The Israeli National Security Council cited Malmö’s reputation as” an anti-Israel protest hub,” where gatherings “are frequently violent, and include calls to harm Jews and Israelis, flag burning, etc..”
The National Security Council ( NSC ) raised the city of Malmö’s travel alert from level 2 ( potential threat ) to level 3 ( moderate threat ) in light of this, the announcement read.” It is suggested that Israelis planning to travel to the city re-evaluate the necessity of doing so at this time.
