RAMALLAH, West Bank (Reuters) - Palestinians launched a campaign on Thursday to enter next year’s Eurovision song contest, hoping to go head to head with contestants from Israel and other countries.
Palestinian officials said preparations were under way to try to qualify for the popular song contest in 2008. They said the effort had the full support of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
“Our participation in Eurovision 2008 is a sign that they will view us as a state, even though we’re not a state,” Bassem Abu Sumaya, head of the Palestinian Broadcasting Corporation, told a news conference.
As part of the qualification process, the Palestinian Broadcasting Corporation must become an active member of the European Broadcasting Union. Officials said an application has been made.
To select a Eurovision entry, the Palestinians will hold a local song contest later this year, organizers said.
Earlier this month Eurovision organizers decided to allow Israel’s entry “Push the Button” into this year’s competition despite complaints about its lyrics, which refer to nuclear war.
Songs with a political message are generally not allowed at the contest usually dominated by pop tunes, and some countries have been asked to alter the lyrics of their entries in the past, Eurovision organizers have said.
Israel has won three Eurovision competitions, the most recent in 1998 when transsexual Dana International wowed audiences with “Diva.”
They setup the Rwandian genocide as well turning the sides against each other while they were in power, was only listening to a thing on it the other day
Go away and shite you performative snivelling blathering po faced Wokefishing self righteous soy latte drinking undoubtedly smelly disappointment to your parents human haemorrhoid.
This is incorrect. I laughed at the person he was quoting.
The discussion was around Jew haters amongst Trump’s base. There certainly are those people, but it isn’t the whole lot of them as was suggested
Same goes for the pro Palestine groupings. I have consistently said the majority are well meaning and not anti semitic but that there is a segment that are a concern & this is being waived away by the likes of yourself.
I will also say that troll voting for Israel to win is not a good message for Europe. It is obviously divisive and would feel threatening for ordinary Palestinians. I think it’s a shame that the event has been turned into this by a certain section using bullying tactics on an individual.
Bizarre response that you would choose to focus on ridiculing a tweeter you don’t like rather than the fact that Trump supporters were scrawling swastikas on walls.
I think the only one with that issue is yourself, demanding that the Irish Jewish committee give you a detailed breakdown of anti semitism they suffer.
A standard that you in particular would never demand from another minority.
