This is why Israel was not expelled from Eurovision – statement

Despite the calls, despite the posters, despite the protesters who have flocked to NRK and other broadcasters in recent months. This year's Eurovision Song Contest starts today. On Thursday, Israeli Eden Golan enters the Malmo Theater in the second semi-final, to perform the song “Hurricane.” On stage there is a performance, and in the background there is noise from the Israeli war on Gaza. But many who thought this was inappropriate, so inappropriate that Israel should have been excluded from the competition, did not win. Why not?

Let's look at the difficult term “political”. The European Broadcasting Union (EBU), the union of public broadcasters that organizes the Eurovision Song Contest, wants more than anything else in the world to keep politics out of the competition.

It is clearly an illusion. The Eurovision Song Contest has always been political, even if here in the safe North West we're sometimes allowed to forget that. In many countries, especially those behind the Iron Curtain, participation in the Eurovision Song Contest is a heavy symbol. It's the sign that you live in a Western European country that is your equal.

Take Estonia for example. When the country won the final in Copenhagen in 2001, there was public celebration for several days. Prime Minister Mart Lahr declared: “We have liberated ourselves from the Soviet Union through song. Now we will sing our way to Europe.”

Or take Bosnia and Herzegovina, which first participated as an independent state in 1993. At that time, there was a full-blown civil war in the former Yugoslavia. The Bosnian capital, Sarajevo, was under siege, and the artists who were to take part in the final in Ireland were forced to flee the city in the middle of the night. They were shot.

The singer told the BBC many years later how he lost his shoes and had to run barefoot through the snow. What he remembers most is the feeling of doing something important. And the fact that it is also entertainment means nothing.

“We were the first to show our independence and prove it,” he said. “We were the first to represent Bosnia at the international level. We proved that our country exists.”

However, the EBU is trying everything it can to keep politics out. If the songs are too political, the lyrics should be changed. This may be necessary. Politics is by nature divisive. It is about power, conflicts, issues about which people disagree, and different visions for the future of countries and continents. Anyone who wants to create a unified event must be able to create a space where such conflicts are left at the door.

But then come situations in which the non-political becomes political. Not taking a position is no longer seen as neutral or inclusive. In Eurovision's recent history, twice have countries been banned in ways that may be related to this year's unrest.

The first was when Yugoslavia and Slobodan broke up MiloševićThe Belgrade government went to war against the breakaway states. This banned Yugoslavia, what remained, from participating in the Eurovision Song Contest for twelve years, before participating again in 2004 as Serbia and Montenegro.

But it was just a formality that made it possible to keep the country out. The Yugoslav Broadcasting Corporation was dissolved in 1992, and when a new body was created, it was not allowed to join the European Broadcasting Union due to international sanctions imposed on the country. MiloševićQ system.

It is perhaps natural, then, to compare the discussion around Israel to Russia's exclusion in 2022. Shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine, it became known that the country would not be allowed to participate in Eurovision. It was not long before the European Union announced that Russia would be allowed to participate as usual.

When they backed down, it seemed as if they had given in to pressure. Norway was then among the countries that requested the expulsion of Russia, along with Finland, Iceland and the Netherlands. Finland said it would not send any contribution to the final if Russia was allowed to participate.

Many protesters this year point to this story. They raise questions about the reasons that prompted individual Member States to take this position two years ago, but not now. But for decision makers, attitudes may still be different.

Because it was not only the reactions of some member states that were decisive in 2022. In the period following the invasion of Ukraine, there was a wave of sanctions from the West. After some hectic talks and negotiations, a united Europe severed its political and cultural ties with Putin's Russia. Before UEFA could reach its decision, the country lost the UEFA Champions League final, which was moved to Paris. Not participating in the Russia boycott would likely seem more like active political activity, and more of a position taken, than participating.

In both Ukraine and Gaza, innocent civilians are dying in large numbers. For organizations that have to decide on the wars, punishing Russia may still be less complicated than imposing sanctions on Israel. It comes down to several things.

NRK management has indicated that the Israel Broadcasting Corporation, not the State of Israel, is a member of the European Broadcasting Union. This radio is considered independent from the Israeli state, which cannot be said about the Russian media.

It also has a relationship with society and politics in general. Broadcasters are independent, but they are still reluctant to pursue their own policy that goes against what might be called the broad political consensus. To date, there is no widespread boycott of Israel in Western European countries, although many strong voices have called for it.

If including Russia had been seen as a “political” matter, it would likely have been seen as more “political” to exclude Israel. There will be talk of entering into a conflict that will extend for several decades. Perhaps it will be difficult on a continent with a dark history with the Holocaust, and which has a Jewish minority to care for.

These are probably some of the reasons why things turned out this way. The reactions and demonstrations that followed are a consequence that the EBU must bear, as long as it remains peaceful. The Eurovision Song Contest aims to be a free space, a sparkling bubble that you can enter and forget about the world for a few hours. But sometimes the world works too hard not to be forgotten.