The Eurovision Song Contest Was Traditionally a Campy Joy – However It Has Transformed Into a Cynical Way to Sanitize Conflict.

An freshly coined acronym emerged a couple of months following the onset of the intensive bombing of Gaza by Israel. Referred to as WCNSF, it means “Injured child with no living relatives”. This acronym is found only in Gaza, per insights from doctors such as paediatricians. Ordinarily, it is unusual for medical staff to treat a young patient who has seen the death of their whole family. However, there has been no semblance of normality regarding the widespread destruction in Gaza, where complete genealogies have been eradicated and the number of child amputees surpasses that of any other region in the world. No sense of normalcy about scores of doctors coming back from a sea of ruins with reports of children being deliberately targeted.

An Unimaginable Crisis Despite a Supposed Ceasefire

Gaza remains hell on earth. Critical healthcare resources are being blocked those in need, and international watchdogs assert that atrocities are still being committed. Authorities disputes these claims, just as it denies all charges it is charged with. Meanwhile, while young survivors are now freezing in improvised encampments, there is a piece of uplifting information: nothing is going to stop the Eurovision song contest from pursuing its declared purpose of “togetherness and artistic sharing.” The contest will continue to roll out a prestigious stage for Israel, even though a number of European countries have now boycotted in dissent. Since this, it seems, is what global togetherness manifests as.

Eurovision, of course prohibited Russia from taking part in 2022 over the “unprecedented crisis in Ukraine”. Yet the conflict in Gaza is entirely distinct.

A Double Standard

Overlook the circumstance that Israel was alleged to have used irregular participation methods last year in what appears to have been an bid to politicise Eurovision. Ignore the report that a three-year-old girl was reportedly killed in Gaza just days ago. Neglect the data that attacks by settlers and systematic expulsions in the West Bank have escalated. Forget the fact that international journalists are still denied independent reporting in Gaza. All of this, apparently, should be seen as a barrier of Eurovision’s much-touted ethos of unity.

The Contest Continues While Ignoring Profound Human Cost

The contest reaches its seventieth anniversary next year – roughly two times the current lifespan of someone in Gaza at present. The event will proceed, but it will never be able to restore the pure, unadulterated fun it historically embodied. A contest that initially championed togetherness has devolved into a transparent instrument to sanitize military aggression.