Right now, the Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) is underway in Israel, with a whole host of fascinating pop singers. It's the third time that the country has hosted Eurovision, and many in Israel are happy to party the night away. In all, about 180 million people all across the globe are tuning in to witness the musical extravaganza.
The reveling happens as Israel's government holds the Gaza Strip under blockade, occupies the West Bank and has annexed the Golan Heights.
DW's Bernd Riegert
Should Eurovision be a platform for talking about this situation? To address issues in general?
Read more: Germany Eurovision 2019 team S!sters eager for the show to get started
Israel's Eurovision organizers clearly don't think so and have refused to comment on the situation. Singers are forbidden from making statements on stage. And the pop icon Madonna, who plays a show on Saturday, has been told to stick to music. Only one Israeli band flouted the ban on statements, calling Israel an "apartheid" state for its exclusion of Palestinians.
Activists hope the attention on Israel will increase attention to the plight of Palestinians
A political event
Israel has presented its hosting of Eurovision as evidence of what a tolerant and cosmopolitan democracy it is.
All this makes Eurovision a political event; it has always been this way: After World War II, the contest became a symbol of reconciliation in Western Europe. After the fall of the Iron Curtain, it stood for the unity of east and west. The musical competition has often been ahead of its time, politically speaking. It always had more members than the European Union, and even included communist-era Yugoslavia. And, 40 years ago, Israel joined.
Read more: Eurovision narrows down the field
North African and Arabic states are also members of the European Broadcasting Union, which organizes the annual music competition. But none, with the exception of Morocco, have ever participated, as they object to Israel's membership.
Back in the 1960s, there were political protests against Spain's military dictatorship at the time during Eurovision. And, more recently, Russia's conflict with Georgia and Ukraine, and tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan, have similarly drawn politics to the "apolitical" pop festival.
Unsuccessful boycott calls
There were calls by some activists for artists to boycott the 2019 Eurovision in Israel. But all 41 registered artists showed up as planned to represent their home countries. Fewer tourists and fans than expected traveled to Israel. However, this may have less to do with political questions or the country's security situation and more with absurdly expensive tickets, hotel rooms and transport costs.
Read more: Eurovision's Orange Carpet in Tel Aviv
When it comes to Israel, everything is political. And, often, completely unrelated issues are connected to or conflated with the Middle East conflict, or questions of anti-Semitism.
The pro-Palestinian Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement even used a tasteless, anti-Semitic protest sign that combines the Eurovision logo and a broken heart in the shape of two Nazi SS runes. The activists are apparently trying to insinuate a connection between the atrocities of Nazi Germany and Israel hosting Eurovision. So it is only right that Germany's parliament, the Bundestag, has publicly distanced itself from the BDS movement. The Bundestag is the first European parliament to take this step, by the way.
Which is not to say that we should refrain from criticizing Israel's government.
Read more: German parliament condemns 'anti-Semitic' BDS movement
Critics have relentlessly railed against the 2019 ESC in Israel. But, by their logic, the 2012 ESC should have never gone ahead in Azerbaijan either, nor in Russia several years earlier. Neither of those countries has a particularly good human rights record. And, if critics want a boycott of the 2019 ESC in Israel, what about the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, and the Winter Olympics that same year in China? After all, there is plenty to be criticized about these countries, too.
Boycotting and excluding people from Eurovision does not seem very promising. Openly discussing and critiquing different viewpoints, however, does. But let's not get too political. At the end of the day, Eurovision is just one big party.
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Eurovision 2019: The 26 finalist countries
Switzerland: Luca Hanni — 'She Got Me'
This guy looks good, dances well, and when he sings, rhythm seems to radiate from every cell in his body. His voice is engaging too. Switzerland's multitalented entry has been a favorite in the field of Eurovision betting. And from the audience in the Tel Aviv Expo Hall, Luca Hanni gets just about the strongest applause of any contender.
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Eurovision 2019: The 26 finalist countries
Cyprus: Tamta — 'Replay'
With so many acts to follow, it's tough starting off the first semifinal, but Tamta made it to the next round. At the climax of her cool, seductive dance number, male dancers rip off her black leather jacket to reveal a white bejeweled corset beneath. "Them sheets need my body tonight," she sings, "You need my love on replay."
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Eurovision 2019: The 26 finalist countries
Czech Republic: Lake Malawi – 'Friend of a Friend'
A light, fun pop number by the three-boy band Lake Malawi exploits the cute factor. Lead vocalist Albert Cerny's trademark yellow sweater has a high recognition factor. The country sent a young, acrobatic singer last year too, and he did well.
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Eurovision 2019: The 26 finalist countries
Australia: Kate Miller-Heidke — 'Zero Gravity'
Clearly not afraid of heights or prone to dizzy spells, Miller-Heidke issues forth her fluttering high notes while wafting through outer space. The audience in the arena see her and two acrobats tied to long, swaying poles, but in the television version, the performers soar above the earth. The song is about lifting oneself out of depression.
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Eurovision 2019: The 26 finalist countries
Estonia: Victor Crone — 'Storm'
"But when it all calms down / We're still safe and sound," Crone sings while holding a guitar, both feet firmly on the ground. The song could have come from an American showbiz city like Nashville or Los Angeles, which is no coincidence: Crone worked in the music business in both those places. He has a ballad of quiet confidence to soothe the spirit, and juries and televoters lap it up.
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Eurovision 2019: The 26 finalist countries
Iceland: Hatari — 'Hate Will Prevail'
Five singers and dancers cavort in BDSM fetish garb in front of a spherical iron cage, atop of which a grim figure beats away with a sledgehammer. Tapping into the present current of anti-establishment feelings, Hatari sings in Icelandic, "Europe will crumble / A web of lies / Will arise from the ashes." However, the song is more about ridding the world of lies and deception than nihilism.
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Eurovision 2019: The 26 finalist countries
San Marino: Serhat — 'Say Na Na Na'
But just what is the mood in Europe? Do people want to smash the prevailing order or to party? This tiny country places its bets on the latter. At the semifinal, Serhat's voice was obscured by the mix, but that didn't keep the Turkish-born TV personality and trained dentist from advancing to the final round. The song's simple message — or complete lack of one — didn't hurt.
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Eurovision 2019: The 26 finalist countries
Belarus: ZENA — 'Like It'
No need to plumb profound depths in this one either. The colorful and happy dance number is delivered by a singer who is just 16 years old but is very poised. She is joined by two male dancers doing breathtaking acrobatics.
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Eurovision 2019: The 26 finalist countries
Serbia: Nevena Bozovic — 'Crown'
Eurovision has nearly defined the "power ballad" genre, emotional songs about love. They're often delivered by sultry blondes who toss their hair and underline their expression with sweeping gestures. ESC 2019 has one, too — and the swirls of color in the backdrop make it visually interesting to viewers from the get-go. It's a piece calculated to do well, at least by ESC standards,
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Eurovision 2019: The 26 finalist countries
Slovenia: Zala Kralj and Gasper Santl — 'Sebi'
For three long minutes on a darkened stage, a single melody sounds over and over again. It comes from a breathy, fragile voice, and the singer and guitarist gaze constantly into each other's eyes. Minimalism is almost an understatement here. Are Zala and Gasper a love couple or not? "Just friends," she says. He contradicts, perhaps seeking to underline the song's authenticity.
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Eurovision 2019: The 26 finalist countries
Greece: Katerine Duska — 'Better Love'
The Greek-Canadian singer has a husky voice that makes you want to hear more of it from the very beginning. "I won't fight this / Burning feeling inside / Gotta get / Better love," sings Duska as backup dancers in diaphanous gowns wield swords and a pleasant lavender floral motif unfolds on the LED screen behind them.
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Eurovision 2019: The 26 finalist countries
Germany: S!sters — 'Sister'
In an age of apparent self-absorption, two friends discover that together, they can be stronger. Germany's entry speaks about female competition giving way to solidarity. As with the entries from most countries, the television audience in Germany was involved in the choice to send the duo to the competition. As Laura and Carlotta have gained experience, their performance has increasingly shone.
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Eurovision 2019: The 26 finalist countries
Malta: Michela — 'Chameleon'
Only 18, the singer is signed to Sony Music. The cool dance number is catchy, and the set is stark, simplistic and changes color nearly every second.
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Eurovision 2019: The 26 finalist countries
Norway: KEiiNO — 'Spirit In The Sky'
With three singers, including Fred-Rene Buljo (above), the song veers from one style to the next and includes yoik singing, a traditional chant-like style from the Sami people in the country's extreme north. As though calculated to spread the risk-taking, the song seems to have something for every taste; it has caught on with audiences and visiting journalists.
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Eurovision 2019: The 26 finalist countries
North Macedonia: Tamara Todevska — 'Proud'
"Girl / They will try to tell you what to do / Don't be afraid to spread your wings and fly," sings Todevska, who has dedicated this feminist hymn to her two children.
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Eurovision 2019: The 26 finalist countries
Spain: Miki — 'The Blindfold'
The 23-year-old singer was shaped musically in part as the front man of the band Dalton Bang, which combines Catalan rumba and Latin percussion. He has spent nearly a decade delivering performances with the high energy of a fiesta. This Spanish-language song has that pulse, too.
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Eurovision 2019: The 26 finalist countries
Albania: Jonida Maliqi — 'Return to the Land'
This catchy song with inflections of Balkan folk music is interpreted by a versatile singer who performs at international festivals and hosts music and dance shows on Albanian TV. "So much nostalgia, so little hope / Return to your land / You know there is a heart waiting for you," she sings, at moments slightly off-key.
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Eurovision 2019: The 26 finalist countries
Sweden: John Lundvik — 'Too Late For Love'
The singing gives you goosebumps, and the vocalist's bouncy and infectious charm leaves everyone smiling. John Lundvik is also a songwriter, having written the song for Michael Rice, his opponent from Great Britain. The smooth soul voice is backed up by a four-member female gospel choir, and the engaging song has the audience clapping to the rhythm at the refrain.
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Eurovision 2019: The 26 finalist countries
Azerbaijan: Chingiz — 'Truth'
A rising star in his home country, Chingiz cavorts with robots onstage in a song about love disappointed.
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Eurovision 2019: The 26 finalist countries
Italy: Mahmood — 'Money'
Mahmood is another of the top-ranked acts this year, and for good reason: He sings in Italian about a problematic father-son relationship and delivers the song with credibility, an attractive Italian semi-spoken, semi-sung style, and a refrain so catchy that everyone ends up humming it afterwards.
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Eurovision 2019: The 26 finalist countries
Russia: Sergey Lazarev — 'Scream'
There are eight Sergeys in the stage production, including seven projections of the singer onto screens, all of which point to the 36-year-old Russian superstar's versatility. After nearly winning three years ago, the Russian with a mighty voice has returned to Eurovision with the intention of not just nearly winning this time. Many give him a serious chance of achieving that goal.
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Eurovision 2019: The 26 finalist countries
Great Britain: Michael Rice — 'Bigger Than Us'
A song of love and hope with little dazzle but unquestionably one of the best voices this year. This is a song competition after all. No gimmicks, just quality singing. Does that suffice to propel Michael to the top?
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Eurovision 2019: The 26 finalist countries
Denmark: Leonora — 'Love Is Forever'
As the singer and her backup performers sway back and forth on a huge chair, the song unfolds a naive charm and casts a positive message in English, Danish, French and German. Twenty-year-old Leonora is a prizewinning figure skater. "Love is forever / Love is forever and everyone," she sings. Who could argue with that?
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Eurovision 2019: The 26 finalist countries
The Netherlands: Duncan Laurence — 'Arcade'
Seated somewhat remotely at a piano, the artist relies on the camera for a close-up. No frills in the production, just a wistful ballad about a loved one who died too young. Although Duncan Laurence makes generous use of falsetto and his voice sometimes wavers, he has never budged from near or at the top spot among the bookies' favorites.
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Eurovision 2019: The 26 finalist countries
France: Bilal Hassani — 'King'
Singing a ballad in a minor key about inclusion and self-determination, Bilal wears long blonde wig and white outfit and is flanked by two ballet dancers. Just so the message isn't lost, words are highlighted on the LED screen about tolerance and love, and "Only you can decide who you want to be."
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Eurovision 2019: The 26 finalist countries
Israel: Kobi Marimi — 'Home'
Bearing a resemblance to Freddie Mercury, Kobi sings "I'm coming home," symbolizing the contest coming to Israel after Netta's sensational win last year in Lisbon. Whereas Netta was freakish, cute and outlandish, Kobi's style is simple and straightforward.
Author: Rick Fulker
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