Eurovision Skips Gaza, Not Israeli Entry
Al-Monitor reports Eurovision chose not to vote on Israel's participation, sparking outrage and calls for boycotts. Meanwhile, the Associated Press reported on May 29, 2024, that Israel's military operation in Gaza had killed over 36,000 Palestinians. One might wonder if the European Broadcasting Union's definition of 'non-political' simply means 'conveniently ignoring inconvenient truths.' It's a
familiar tune: cultural institutions, like political bodies, often find it easier to suspend 'neutrality' when it means condemning one side (Russia was swiftly ejected from Eurovision in 2022 following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine). But apply that same standard to a US ally and suddenly, 'art is separable from politics.' How many mass graves does it take before a country's artistic merit is
questioned?