Israel belongs to the Eurovision Israel’s conflict and the two

Only when you believed that Eurovision had reached the peak of absurdity-with shiny clichés, strange songs, and shows that make those who appear local night in the Carroke-drowning in 2025. This year, Israel did not participate this year amid its continuous attack on Gaza and international law, almost won.

In the period before the competition, activists all over Europe called for the exclusion of Israel. The seventy-two of the former contestants in the Eurovision signed an open speech calling for Israel and its national broadcaster, Kan. The protests, petitions and campaigns have swept throughout the continent, and urged the competition to support its supposed values ​​from “European unity and culture” instead of lights on a country accused of curricula and bombing the population of a prisoner of two million.

But Eurovision did not listen.

Instead, I handed the theater to Yaval Rafael, a 24-year-old-one of the survivors of the Hamas attack on October 7 at the Nova Music Festival-who won public television in most countries, and finished second in general, only because, unlike the audience, most professional jury preferred to enter Austria.

It is understood that the amazing Israel approaching the edge has sparked a wave of the opposite reaction. With the presence of residents who were more hiding in their criticism of Israel’s actions in Gaza-such as Ireland-it is supposed to give the highest signs of Raphael, widespread accusations of voting voted. National broadcasters in Spain and Belgium submitted official complaints with the European Broadcasting Union, demanding an investigation into the possible manipulation of the TV system. Meanwhile, Intercept Analysis revealed that Eurovision organizers have concealed an audience that rises and chanted “Free Palestine” during Raphael’s direct performance.

In the aftermath of this year’s competition, calls for the exclusion of Israel from the Eurovision are higher than ever. It is clear that for many across Europe who love Eurovision – whether for its camp, scene or nostalgia – but they also care about international law and Palestinian life, the inclusion of Israel is the continuation of moral failure.

However, I believe that Israel belongs to Eurovision and should remain in the competition to move forward. This is the reason.

For one reason, Israel’s continuous participation will reflect the reality of European policy. Despite the growing general anger, many European leaders were not being shaken in their support for Israel throughout its destroyed campaign in Gaza. While countries like Spain and the Republic of Ireland have called for a reassessment of the European Union’s relationship with Israel, for most Europe, the work was as usual.

In February 2025, despite the pressure from human rights groups, European foreign ministers met with their Israeli counterpart and insisted that “political and economic relations are still strong.” A few months later, seven countries in the European Union issued a joint statement calling for an end to what they described as a “humanitarian catastrophe” in Gaza. But without work, these words rang hollow.

Europe is also divided into whether it will honor the arrest warrant for the International Criminal Court of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Belgium, the Netherlands, Ireland, Lithuania, Slovenia and Spain have indicated that it will abide. As usual, the United Kingdom surrounded, saying it only “will comply with legal obligations under local and international law.” Meanwhile, during the era of Prime Minister Victor Urban, Hungary rejected the enforcement of the memo. Among the largest players of Europe – France, Germany and Italy – the response ranged from dodging to explicit rejection. France claimed that Netanyahu has immunity because Israel is not a member of the International Criminal Court; Italy said that his arrest would be “unable to”; And the newly elected German advisor, Fredchich Mirz, pledged to find “ways and means” to visit Netanyahu.

Looking at the way European leaders showed more enthusiastic to eliminate Palestinian solidarity activists more than accountable Israel, it is appropriate for Israel to continue to sing and dance on the ruins of Palestinian life – along with its European friends.

But this alliance is not political. Those who promote her indicate that they are cultural, and even “civilization”.

Many Western intellectuals have long threw Israel as an average European values ​​in a supposed brutal area. After October 7, this narration was renewed with a new urgency. French general intellectual Bernard Henry Levy, while insisting that he is “a militant defender of human rights”, Israel is framed- The apartheid And everything – as an ethical beacon compared to the usual “others”: Russians, Turks, Chinese, Persians, and Arabs. He said that their imperial ambitions pose a much greater threat to “civilization” than “Israel’s policy of colonizing the West Bank.” He even praised the “moral stability” of Israel and the supposed interest in civilian life in Gaza – words that were not ranging from 19 months after the pure massacre.

American commentator Josh Hamer, Israel and civilization: the fate of the Jewish nation and the fate of the West, is more clear. For him, Israel is the “agent” of the West in an area in which violence was afflicted and the Islamic “terrorism”. Those who support Palestinian rights, as he put it, “anti -America, anti -Western”. The UK commentator Douglas Murray is frequented by the same civilizational framework in the book of democracies and the worship of death: Israel and the future of civilization, describing Israel as the bright goodness in the world of evil.

Israeli leaders also adopted this language. Netanyahu announced shortly after October 7 that “Israel is fighting the enemies of civilization itself,” and urged the West to show “moral clarity.” According to this global view, Israel not only defends itself – but also defends the entire Western civilization.

All this may seem far from the song competition. But Eurovision has always been more than sequins and major changes. It is the “European” projection – and “Europe”, as a concept, was always political. It is based on a colonial legacy that Europe imagined as enlightened, organized, rational-specified in the supposed “other” opposition to the “other” and emotional and non-European.

This legacy justified colonial conquests and violent repression of anti -colonial uprisings. The massacres are thrown as the restoration price; Ethnic cleansing, a civilized mission. Today, the same narration lives in how western Israel is framing – as a besieged democracy that stands courageously against barbarism.

Therefore, when people invite Israel from the banning of Israel from Eurovich because of the allegations of voting for this year, I can only notice the paradox: that its group genocide in Gaza did not cross a red line for Europe-but cheating in the song competition may.

If Eurovision is expelling Israel now, it will be the harshest punishment imposed by the continent at all on the nation – and it will not be for mass killing, but to interfere with pop music.

Thus, yes – I think Israel should remain in the Eurovision.

After all, Europe and Israel deserve each other.

The opinions expressed in this article are the author of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of the editorial island.