No Time for Euphoria: Israel May Participate in Eurovision, but This 'Victory' Is a Defeat
The officials of the European Broadcasting Union are not accustomed to the kind of reception that awaited them on their way to their semi-annual meeting in Geneva. This group of bureaucrats and lawyers usually gathers to discuss the mundane details ahead of the upcoming Eurovision Song Contest – minor rule adjustments, updates on voting procedures, and, more generally, all the gray areas behind the world's most colorful music competition.
This time, however, all eyes were on them. At the center of last week's conference stood the storm that has engulfed Eurovision over the past two years – namely, Israel. Or more precisely, Israel's insistence on continuing to participate in the contest despite opposition from several broadcasting unions. Backing Israel were Germany and host country Austria, while on the opposing side stood Spain, Ireland, Iceland, Slovenia and the Netherlands, all of whom threatened to withdraw if Israel were allowed to participate.
In the end, the decision was made, and Israel's public broadcaster, Kan, celebrated what it called a resounding victory. Dov Gil-Har, reporting from Geneva, boasted, "We got douze points," and the headline on ynet captured the national mood in what can best be translated as: "In their face." Just as in last year's contest in Basel – where Yuval Raphael nearly clinched first place – the same dynamic played out in Geneva's vote. Israel is behaving like a bull in a China shop, poking Europe in the eye and alienating itself from Eurovision fans who once welcomed it with open arms.
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Ynet also reported that, prior to the vote, a special team had been assembled at the President's Residence to run a diplomatic campaign aimed at persuading national representatives to vote in Israel's favor. This is not the first time President Herzog has intervened. About two years ago, after the Israeli entry was disqualified due to political overtones, he sent a special letter to the European Broadcasting Union requesting that Israel be given a second chance to revise the lyrics of "October Rain," which eventually became the song "Hurricane," performed by Eden Golan.
These days, as Israel faces an unprecedented diplomatic low, it seems that all attention is focused on Eurovision. But why is participation so crucial? Why, especially in the past two years (and even more so this year) is it so important for us to stand before an audience that openly boos our singer?
Israel could have chosen a simpler, easier path: announcing that, while it is at war, it has no time, space or desire to take part in an international singing contest. It could have stepped back, regrouped and returned to Europe after the war. Even Israel's closest Eurovision allies would likely have appreciated such a gesture, which would certainly have lowered the temperature.
Instead, Israel poured significant funds into massive promotional campaigns to boost the visibility of its representatives, investing large sums on Times Square billboards and YouTube ads. This may have earned Israel second place last year, but it also fueled widespread suspicion about the legitimacy of the votes and even prompted alterations to the voting rules.
Now, with the situation reaching a point of no return – four countries having withdrawn from the contest (Ireland, the Netherlands, Slovenia, and Spain), with more expected, it is no longer possible to claim that Eurovision is "not political." The internal rift dividing the Israeli public has seeped into a contest that was founded 70 years ago to unite Europe after World War II, casting doubt on the entire concept of the competition. From now on, this will be Israel's true legacy at Eurovision – a legacy far larger than its four victories to date. A disgraceful legacy.
In Israel, people love victories and are trying to paint the latest vote as yet another win. But this is a mistake. Israel did not win; it lost. To understand just how much, one must look at the statements released by the broadcasting unions that withdrew from the contest. These declarations cannot be dismissed as "just more antisemites." In addition to the war in Gaza, Israel's assault on the freedom of the press there was a recurring issue.
Golan Yochpaz, CEO of Israel's public broadcaster. Israel has lost the ability to listen.Credit: Eyal Toueg
"Culture unites, but not at any price. What has happened over the past year has tested the limits of what we can uphold," Taco Zimmerman, Chair of the Dutch broadcaster AVROTROS, said in a statement. "Universal values such as humanity and press freedom have been seriously compromised, and for us, these values are non-negotiable."
Irish broadcaster RTÉ wrote: "RTÉ feels that Ireland's participation remains unconscionable given the appalling loss of lives in Gaza and the humanitarian crisis there… [and] remains deeply concerned by the targeted killing of journalists in Gaza during the conflict and the continued denial of access to international journalists to the territory."
A UN report from December states that 255 journalists have been killed in Gaza since the start of the war. In Israel, this fact is often ignored or dismissed with claims that some journalists had ties to Hamas (indeed, some did work closely with Hamas). But the reality that Israel has killed so many journalists is a stain that much of the world refuses to overlook. How ironic that representatives of the Dutch broadcasting corporation must now fight for the freedom to report on the war in Gaza, while Golan Yochpaz, CEO of Kan, stands on stage in Geneva, deeply agitated by the prospect of a cultural boycott.
Israel will participate in the next Eurovision. Yet the entire contest has lost, with a significant number of withdrawing countries and the departure of Spain, one of Eurovision's major financial contributors. Israel has lost the ability to listen, to try to understand why so many in Europe are furious, and to consider whether the broadcasters' desire to boycott it might have merit as long as it continues to violate what they consider core values.
Most of all, Israel has lost the ability to see itself as part of the wider world. Today, Israel is a small, isolated country that managed to clear a few hurdles – only to dig itself a deep hole inside a song contest. Right in their face..