Eurovision expresses disappointment over performer wearing pro-Palestinian symbol | The Express Tribune
tribune.com.pk
Eric Saade of Sweden wore a keffiyeh at Eurovision 2024, showing support for Palestine amid controversy over Israel's involvement.

The musician was seen wearing a keffiyeh on his arm, a symbol commonly used to show support for Palestine.

In reponse, a representative of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) said in a statement: “All performers are made aware of the rules of the contest, and we regret that Eric Saade chose to compromise the non-political nature of the event.”

Despite facing criticism for its decision not to exclude Israel and worldwide protests condemning the organizers’ choice, the competition maintained its stance.

“Politics does influence the event from time to time,” said Paul Jordan, a contest enthusiast and researcher who was part of its communications team from 2015 to 2018, in an interview with CNN.

However, he noted, “the presence of Israel has become such a big issue (that) I think it’s going to overshadow the event.”

The news comes during Israel’s seizure and closure of the Rafah crossing in Gaza, which has raised concerns that already-scarce food and medical supplies will be further depleted and lead to a “catastrophic” humanitarian disaster.

    • Ooops@kbin.social
      2112·
      6 months ago

      Hamas plans a genocide of Jews on one hand -without limited success so far, but not for a lack of trying- and actively helps with worsening the situation in Gaza on the other because they can use deaths there for their propaganda. Israel isn’t shy about killing as many Palestinians as possible either, because not reacting to Hamas terror isn’t an option, but any reaction will produce a negative reaction and tons of propaganda anyway. So why not go all in?

      So which side are you talking about? The one commiting genocide or the genocidal one? No, Palestinian civilians are sadly not a valid side you can chose as they are de facto governed by Hamas in Gaza… unless you have a plan to separate one from the other somehow. Please then go on and tell the plan to world leaders unsuccessfully looking for such a solution for many, many years now.

      Or in short: Pretending there are easy sides, with one being right and one wrong, is not a solution but indeed part of the problem.

      • Devi@kbin.social
        8·
        6 months ago

        You seem to be speaking as if genocide is the goal of every war. It’s really not, and in fact it’s against international law which most countries stick to.

        Genocide is quite rare through history because generally once you have complete dominion over a people you stop and start to rebuild. In the Iraq war (which was quite an extreme war with quite a lot of rule breaking) they allowed the people to eat, they allowed aid trucks free access, there were even British hospitals that treated Iraqis. Most importantly they took measures to reduce civilian casualties, like avoiding conflict in populated areas.

        This ‘war’ is not following any of those rules. The people are not allowed to leave, aid providers are being directly targeted, any supply of medical equipment is prevented from access.

        Anyone at this point sitting on the fence going “Well both sides are in the wrong” is either misinformed or evil.

      • brainrein@feddit.deEnglish
        4·
        6 months ago

        You are of course right, both sides have done terrible things to each other. For over 100 years. Many Zionist immigrants and later Israelis have been victims of Palestinian violence. And throughout all that time, there have always been at least 10 times more Palestinians who have fallen victim to Zionist violence.

        But yes, when two groups lay claim to the same piece of land, then hatred and violence ensue, including blind violence against civilians, because people can be really shitty, we know that.

        But there is also the question of who is in the right in this conflict, whose claim to the land is more valid. In my sense of justice, in this conflict the Palestinians are the natives who should have owned the land from the start.

        And the Zionists immigrated to Palestine with the declared aim of establishing their own Jewish state there. And like real Europeans of the time, they gave practically no thought to what the people living there thought about it.

        I think we have to keep in mind that, regardless of the violence, the Palestinians have been subjected to terrible injustice for over 100 years by the Zionists, by Israel and by their European allies around the world.

        • Don_alForno@feddit.deEnglish
          12·
          6 months ago

          In my sense of justice, in this conflict the Palestinians are the natives who should have owned the land from the Start.

          I disagree.

          So, whose arbitrarily picked amount of years to look back in time and say “see, our people were there first” are we following?

          • cybersin@lemm.eeEnglish
            2·
            6 months ago

            Massacring and forcibly evicting an existing population to create an ethnostate, which then subjugates the previous inhabitants under an apartheid regime, is generally seen as a “not very nice” thing to do. To suggest that territorial disputes can only be resolved through war is unimaginative, ignorant, and flatly incorrect.

            Your question is unimportant because ethnostates and the forcible acquisition of territory are always fundamentally unjust.

            A civilian population is being brutalized right now. The killing must stop for there to be any reconciliation.

      • Patapon Enjoyer@lemmy.worldEnglish
        810·
        6 months ago

        unless you have a plan to separate one from the other somehow

        Spoken like a true zionist bombing civilians because everyone on Gaza is Hamas. Specially children, journalists and aid workers.

        • Ooops@kbin.social
          94·
          6 months ago

          Thank you for perfectly demonstrating my point. You are an idiot thinking this is a team sport, “your” side is right and everybody not sharing your exact opinion is wrong and the enemy.

          And because everyone is the same on that “other side” I somehow become a zionist bombing civilians in your alternative world view, although I could impossibly qualify for that definition by any degree.

          And also because everything on your side needs to be righteous you twist reality to fit your view. I explicitly asked how to effectively separate Palestinian civilians in Gaza from their de facto Hamas governmemnt. Yet somehow in your brain that question translated to the exact opposite of what I actually said: That somehow every civilan in Gaza is part of Hamas.

          Seriously… how fucked up is your delusion that things you read instantly transform to mean something completely different, just so they fit the imaginary point you are trying to make?