The Eurovision Song Contest Was Traditionally a Campy Joy – However It Has Evolved Into a Calculated Tool to Sanitize Conflict.

A recent acronym came to light a few months following the onset of the intensive bombing of Gaza by Israel. Labeled WCNSF, it means “Wounded child, no surviving family”. This acronym is specific to Gaza, according to medical experts including paediatricians. Normally, it is rare for medical staff to treat a young patient who has seen the death of their entire family. Yet, there has been absolutely nothing ordinary about the widespread destruction in Gaza, where whole bloodlines have been eradicated and the number of children who have lost limbs is greater than that of any other place in the world. Nothing normal in numerous doctors coming back from a sea of ruins with testimonies of children being deliberately targeted.

An Unimaginable Crisis Despite a Reported Truce

The Gaza Strip continues to be an utter catastrophe. Critical healthcare resources are not getting in those in need, and major human rights organizations assert that genocidal acts are still being committed. The Israeli government rejects these accusations, consistent with how it denies all charges it is implicated in. But while grieving children who lost parents are now freezing in temporary shelters, there is a piece of uplifting information: nothing is going to stop the Eurovision song contest from continuing with its stated mission of “togetherness and artistic sharing.” Eurovision will continue to roll out a welcoming platform for Israel, even though several European countries have now pulled out in protest. Because this, apparently, is what unity looks like.

Eurovision, of course banned Russia from participating in 2022 due to the “grave situation in Ukraine”. Yet the conflict in Gaza appears to be treated differently.

A Double Standard

Disregard the reality that Israel was criticized for irregular participation methods last year in what could be seen as an attempt to manipulate Eurovision. Ignore the report that a toddler was reportedly killed in Gaza recently. Neglect the data that settler violence and coerced removal in the West Bank have escalated. Disregard the condition that global media are still denied freely reporting in Gaza. All of this, it would seem, should be allowed to get in the way of Eurovision’s self-proclaimed spirit of unity.

The Contest Continues Amidst Unimaginable Suffering

The contest marks seven decades next year – roughly two times the current lifespan of an individual in Gaza now. The broadcast will air, but it will find it impossible to reclaim the camp joy it was formerly known for. A competition that initially championed harmony has now become a transparent instrument to whitewash war.