Eurovision Used to Be a Campy Joy – Yet It Has Transformed Into a Calculated Tool to Whitewash War.

An recent term emerged several months after the start of the military campaign against Gaza. Referred to as WCNSF, it stands for “Child casualty without any family left”. This term is unique to Gaza, according to doctors including child health specialists. Ordinarily, it is uncommon for medical staff to treat a child who has seen the death of their complete family. But, there has been nothing “normal” concerning the genocide in Gaza, where entire family lineages have been eradicated and the number of children who have lost limbs is greater than that of anywhere else in the world. No sense of normalcy in many doctors coming back from a sea of ruins with accounts of children being deliberately targeted.

An Unimaginable Crisis Despite a Supposed Ceasefire

Gaza remains hell on earth. Critical healthcare resources are not getting in those in need, and international watchdogs assert that violations are ongoing. The Israeli government disputes these accusations, just as it denies everything it is implicated in. Yet as traumatised orphans are now suffering from the cold in temporary shelters, there is a little heartwarming news: apparently nothing is going to stop the international singing competition from pursuing its stated mission of “unity and artistic sharing.” Organizers will continue to extend a prestigious stage for Israel, despite the fact that at least four European countries have now pulled out in protest. Because this, we are told, is what unity manifests as.

The contest, notably prohibited Russia from participating in 2022 due to the “unprecedented crisis in Ukraine”. But the crisis in Gaza is entirely distinct.

A Double Standard

Forget the fact that Israel was accused of irregular participation methods last year in what seems to have been an attempt to politicise Eurovision. Forget the fact that a three-year-old girl was reportedly killed in Gaza on a recent Sunday. Forget the fact that settler violence and coerced removal in the West Bank have increased dramatically. Forget the fact that global media are still prevented from freely reporting in Gaza. All of this, it would seem, should be seen as a barrier of Eurovision’s cherished spirit of unity.

The Show Goes On While Ignoring Staggering Tragedy

The contest reaches its seventieth anniversary next year – almost double the projected longevity of someone in Gaza today. The show may go on, but it will likely never recapture the whimsical pleasure it once represented. A contest that was originally built on togetherness has now become a cynical way to sanitize military aggression.