2024-04-10 06:43:52
Eurovision Song Contest organizers on Tuesday criticized “targeted campaigns on social media” against competition participants, amid reports that a singer representing Israel had received threats.
Controversy arose over Israel’s participation in this year’s edition of the competition organized by Sweden in May in light of the war launched by the Israeli army in Gaza and the devastation it caused in the Palestinian Strip.
In a statement, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) acknowledged “the depth of feelings and strong opinions raised by the Eurovision Song Contest, which is being held this year against the backdrop of a horrific war in the Middle East.”
While he expressed his understanding of “people’s desire to engage in discussions and express their deeply held opinions on this issue,” he raised concerns about “targeted campaigns on social media against some of our participating artists.”
The statement did not mention the names of the artists involved, but it came amid reports that the 20-year-old Israeli singer, Eden Golan, had received death threats through her Instagram account.
“While we strongly support freedom of expression and the right to express opinions in a democratic society, we strongly oppose any form of online abuse, hate speech or harassment of our artists or any individuals associated with the competition,” the federation’s statement said.
He added that targeting Eurovision artists is “completely unacceptable and unfair.”
The statement stressed that “the decision to include any broadcasting organization, including the Israeli Kan radio, in the Eurovision Song Contest is the responsibility of the administrative bodies of the European Broadcasting Union only, and not the responsibility of individual artists.”
“These artists come to Eurovision to share their music, their culture and the message of global unity through the language of music,” he added.
The Israeli public broadcaster, Kan, is a member of the European Broadcasting Union and can therefore participate in the Eurovision competition.
However, the federation forced Israel to change the lyrics of the song “October Rain” by Golan, considering it too political, which contradicts the rules of Eurovision.
It was widely considered that the first version presented referred to the victims of the Hamas attack on October 7 inside Israel that sparked the raging war in Gaza.
But last month, Eurovision approved Golan’s participation in a second song called “Hurricane” that includes the same music as the previous rejected song with different lyrics.
The EBU stressed that it is “committed to providing a safe and supportive environment for all participants, staff and fans of the Eurovision Song Contest.”
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