Israel's participation in the Eurovision Song Contest has been strongly criticized. Resignations, countless messages on social networks, booing and demands against the genocide in Gaza have marked this edition of the festival, while the UEB, the organizer, has drawn a thick veil over all these criticisms and in fact tried to censor them and pretend they did not exist. RTVE, in turn, made it clear that its position would be indistinguishable from that of the UEB, whatever it was.
Against this backdrop, Toni Aguilar and Julia Varela, who had said nothing about the Israeli participant at the time of the presentation of the flags, did so when it was Eden Golan's turn to take the stage to deafening boos. “The time has come for Israel to participate,” Varela said, while Aguilar pointed out that this is the song the festival accepted after “several rejections.” “Israel's participation in this year's Eurovision Song Contest is strongly questioned given the situation of serious international conflicts”Varela added. “This is a televised music competition where political slogans are prohibited,” Aguilar added.
These words did not please Gabriel Rufián at all, who has been very blunt on Twitter. “It's not a conflict. It's a direct genocide. No wolves or lambs? What a shame”he said, irritated by the way he referred to the situation in the Gaza Strip.
It's not a conflict.
It is a direct genocide.
No wolves and no lambs?
What a pity @rtve.
— Gabriel Rufián (@gabrielrufian) May 11, 2024
Yolanda Díaz, also very loud on TVE
The Minister of Labor and Social Economy and the second vice-president of the government were equally critical of the television broadcast of the festival. Yolanda Diazvia his Twitter account.
'Our public television can't allow that a competition that defends peace and diversity is a propaganda act in the middle of a genocide,” he began.
“We will study the necessary measures so that RTVE does not support the Eurovision Song Contest again under these circumstances,” he added. This is a serious contradiction to the official position of the public companywhich in the past already ensured that it would remain unchanged compared to that of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU).
Our public television cannot allow a contest that defends peace and diversity to become an act of propaganda in the midst of a genocide.
We will study the necessary measures so that RTVE does not support the Eurovision Song Contest again under these circumstances.
— Yolanda Diaz (@Yolanda_Diaz_) May 11, 2024
With her words, the leader of Sumar has influenced everything that has happened since October 7 last year. Doctors Without Borders (MSF) medical officer Aurelie Godard seemed to report a devastating report: almost two million people are forced”flee from their homes“, in addition to the already almost 35,000 deaths reasons why their participation in the Eurovision Song Contest was a clear exercise in condoning these actions and why countless people have spoken out against them.
Follow us on WhatsApp and receive the best news and most interesting stories.