Worries about Israel one month before ESC
Published: Friday, Apr 5th 2024, 10:20
Updated At: Saturday, Apr 6th 2024, 01:59
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For the fans, it should be a cheerfully shrill party. But the global situation is once again depressing the mood at the Eurovision Song Contest (ESC): when the artists from 37 countries compete for the European singing crown in Malmö in just over a month's time, there could be protests on the sidelines against Israel's actions in Gaza.
Musically, it looks like the ESC final on May 11 will be one of the most exciting in recent years. In the betting shops, the favorites have recently been changing hands. The Swiss singer Nemo is currently in the lead with his song "Code". This tells the story of the singer who says he feels neither male nor female and classifies himself as non-binary.
Croatian singer Baby Lasagna follows in the betting shops with the over-the-top "Rim Tim Dagi Tin". The song tells the story of young Croatians who leave their country en masse in search of a better life. However, the bookmakers, who have been accurate in predicting the winner in recent years, are still seeing a lot of movement - for example, the Ukrainian duo alyona alyona & Jerry Heil, long considered the favorites, have now slipped away with "Teresa & Maria".
While artists in all countries are now in the hot phase of preparing for the world's most highly regarded music competition, the police in Sweden have been preparing for some time. There are concerns that Israel's actions in the Gaza Strip will overshadow the ESC.
Tense political situation
"This is the first time since the war in Gaza that Israel has taken part in an international event," political scientist Anders Persson from Linnaeus University in Växjö told the AFP news agency. Persson expects protests.
There is already a call for a boycott of Israel's participation, and several demonstrations - including pro-Israeli ones - have been registered in Malmö during the ESC.
The ESC, which has been held since 1956, sees itself as a non-political music competition. The fans want fire fountains and wind machines, flashy outfits and rousing songs - but at least on the streets of Malmö, the tense global political situation will also be reflected.
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