The Eurovision Song Contest Was Once a Whimsical Delight – However It Has Transformed Into a Calculated Tool to Whitewash War.

A new acronym came to light a few months following the onset of the intensive bombing of Gaza by Israel. Known as WCNSF, it means “Injured child with no living relatives”. This designation is unique to Gaza, per insights from doctors including child health specialists. Ordinarily, it is uncommon for medical staff to care for a minor who has been bereaved of their entire family. However, there has been nothing “normal” regarding the widespread destruction in Gaza, where whole bloodlines have been obliterated and the number of child amputees surpasses that of anywhere else in the world. Nothing ordinary in many doctors arriving back from a sea of ruins with accounts of children being intentionally shot at.

A Hell on Earth In Spite Of a Supposed Ceasefire

The Gaza Strip continues to be hell on earth. Vital medicines and equipment are not getting in those in need, and major human rights organizations contend that atrocities are still being committed. Officials rejects these allegations, consistent with how it disavows all charges it is charged with. Yet as grieving children who lost parents are now enduring frigid conditions in temporary shelters, there is some ostensibly positive news: nothing is going to stop the Eurovision from pursuing its stated mission of “togetherness and artistic sharing.” Organizers will continue to offer a welcoming platform for Israel, although at least four European countries have now pulled out in protest. Because this, we are told, is what international harmony looks like.

The contest, notably excluded Russia from participating in 2022 due to the “unprecedented crisis in Ukraine”. Yet the conflict in Gaza is treated differently.

Contradictory Principles

Disregard the reality that Israel was alleged to have used questionable voting tactics last year in what seems to have been an attempt to politicise Eurovision. Forget the fact that a young child was allegedly fatally struck in Gaza just days ago. Forget the fact that settler violence and coerced removal in the West Bank have increased dramatically. Forget the fact that international journalists are still denied independent reporting in Gaza. This entire context, it would seem, should be seen as a barrier of Eurovision’s self-proclaimed spirit of unity.

The Pageant Proceeds Amidst Unimaginable Suffering

The contest turns 70 next year – almost double the projected longevity of a person in Gaza now. The show may go on, but it will likely never recapture the pure, unadulterated fun it historically embodied. A contest that initially championed harmony has devolved into a cynical way to whitewash war.