The Eurovision Song Contest Was Traditionally a Lighthearted Spectacle – But It Has Become a Cynical Way to Sanitize Conflict.
An recent term came to light a couple of months following the onset of the intensive bombing of Gaza by Israel. Referred to as WCNSF, it stands for “Wounded child, no surviving family”. This term is specific to Gaza, as stated by doctors such as paediatricians. Normally, it is rare for doctors to treat a child who has lost their entire family. Yet, there has been nothing “normal” about the genocide in Gaza, where whole bloodlines have been obliterated and the number of child amputees surpasses that of any other region in the world. Nothing ordinary about scores of doctors coming back from a sea of ruins with accounts of children being intentionally shot at.
A Living Nightmare Regardless of a Reported Truce
The Gaza Strip continues to be an utter catastrophe. Vital medicines and equipment are failing to reach those in need, and groups like Amnesty International contend that genocidal acts are continuing. Officials rejects these allegations, consistent with how it refutes each claim it is accused of. Meanwhile, while young survivors are now freezing in improvised encampments, there is a little heartwarming news: apparently nothing is going to stop the Eurovision song contest from advancing its declared purpose of “togetherness and artistic sharing.” Organizers will continue to roll out a welcoming platform for Israel, despite the fact that at least four European countries have now pulled out in protest. Because this, we are told, is what unity looks like.
Historically, Eurovision excluded Russia from participating in 2022 because of the “grave situation in Ukraine”. But the crisis in Gaza seems entirely distinct.
A Selective Vision
Forget the fact that Israel was alleged to have used unfair vote practices last year in what appears to have been an bid to inject politics into Eurovision. Set aside the news that a three-year-old girl was reportedly killed in Gaza recently. Pay no mind to the evidence that attacks by settlers and systematic expulsions in the West Bank have surged. Disregard the condition that global media are still blocked from freely reporting in Gaza. None of this, evidently, should be seen as a barrier of Eurovision’s much-touted ethos of unity.
The Contest Continues Against a Backdrop of Staggering Tragedy
The contest reaches its seventieth anniversary next year – roughly two times the projected longevity of an individual in Gaza now. The broadcast will air, but it will never be able to restore the pure, unadulterated fun it was formerly known for. A competition that initially championed togetherness has devolved into a transparent instrument to whitewash war.
