Eurovision Used to Be a Lighthearted Spectacle – But It Has Evolved Into a Cynical Way to Sanitize Conflict.
An recent term surfaced a few months after the start of the intensive bombing of Gaza by Israel. Referred to as WCNSF, it means “Injured child with no living relatives”. This acronym is found only in Gaza, according to medical experts like child health specialists. Ordinarily, it is uncommon for medical staff to attend to a minor who has seen the death of their entire family. Yet, there has been absolutely nothing ordinary regarding the widespread destruction in Gaza, where complete genealogies have been obliterated and the number of child amputees is greater than that of anywhere else in the world. Nothing ordinary in numerous doctors arriving back from a devastated terrain with testimonies of children being deliberately targeted.
A Hell on Earth In Spite Of a Reported Truce
Gaza remains hell on earth. Vital medicines and equipment are not getting in those in need, and major human rights organizations have stated that genocidal acts are still being committed. Officials has denied these accusations, just as it refutes all charges it is implicated in. Yet as traumatised orphans are now suffering from the cold in makeshift tent camps, there is a piece of uplifting information: nothing is going to stop the Eurovision song contest from continuing with its stated mission of “togetherness and artistic sharing.” The contest will continue to roll out a blood-red carpet for Israel, despite the fact that a number of European countries have now withdrawn in objection. And this, apparently, is what global togetherness manifests as.
The contest, notably excluded Russia from taking part in 2022 over the “serious conflict in Ukraine”. But the crisis in Gaza seems treated differently.
A Selective Vision
Forget the fact that Israel was alleged to have used unfair vote practices last year in what seems to have been an attempt to politicise Eurovision. Ignore the report that a three-year-old girl was reportedly killed in Gaza recently. Forget the fact that aggression from Israeli settlers and coerced removal in the West Bank have escalated. Forget the fact that foreign reporters are still prevented from unfettered access in Gaza. This entire context, evidently, should be allowed to get in the way of Eurovision’s much-touted ethos of unity.
The Contest Continues Against a Backdrop of Profound Human Cost
Eurovision marks seven decades next year – nearly twice the average life expectancy of someone in Gaza today. The show may go on, but it will likely never recapture the camp joy it was formerly known for. A competition that was originally built on togetherness has now become a cynical way to whitewash war.
