Spain: Eurovision Too Normal for Genocide-Adjacent States
Spain's national broadcaster, RTVE, has reaffirmed its commitment to boycotting next year's Eurovision Song Contest if Israel competes, citing the ongoing 'genocide in Gaza' as the reason. This follows a pattern of European countries, like Ireland and Iceland, expressing similar concerns about normalizing a participation that appears increasingly out of step with global humanitarian sentiments.
Yet, while Spain considers the optics of a song contest, the United States Congress continues its own peculiar performance. Consider Rep. Mike Johnson, Speaker of the House, who, according to OpenSecrets.org, received over $100,000 from pro-Israel groups in his career. Not long after, he presided over a vote to pass HR 8035, providing billions more in military aid to the very government accused of
actions Spain finds disqualifying for a pop music festival. It seems some stages require a higher moral bar than others.