Eurovision 2019: And So It Begins.

Sunday (12/5/19) saw the traditional Opening Gala which marks the start of the Eurovision Song Contest. Hosted this year in Tel Aviv, Israel.

Tuesday (14/5/19) will see the First Semi-Final.

Thursday (16/5/19) will see the Second Semi-Final.

This all builds towards Saturday's (18/5/19) Grand Finale. Where a winner will be crowned. 

Every year I try and perfect a template of how to cover the Eurovision Song Contest. Something I can quickly use to dissect the event while it is still fresh in everyone's minds.

Every year I fail.

The Eurovision Song Contest is something which is very much defined by the people who turn up. Every time I think I've found a way to explain the Song Contest the people who turn up decide to do it differently.

Generally speaking though the Song Contest is used by nations to raise the political issues which are important to them.

This is why Eurovision has one golden rule, songs cannot be overtly political. If they were each year would rapidly descend into a riot rather than a singing competition.

When I say; "Political Issues" I tend not to mean things like the specific amendments to clauses of bills being passed by Parliaments.

Although this year one country seems very interested in Articles 11 and 13 of the The European Union Directive on Copyright in the Digital Single Market. Recently passed by the EU Parliament. Quite an achievement for a three minute popsong.

The political issues raised at Eurovision tend to be more broader, social issues which influence people's everyday lives. Yet either do not warrant the attention of politicians and governments or have failed to catch their attention.

San Marino's 2015 entry "Chain of Lights" by Anita Simoncini & Michele Perniola being a prime example. This dealt with the then new phenomenon of; "Sexting." Teenagers sending each other sexually explicit images and videos over cell phones and social media.

Sexting is obviously an issue which potentially affects all children and teenagers in many European societies. Along with their parents and teachers. However in 2015 it wasn't an issue that had really caught the attention of governments, politicians and lawmakers.

Frustratingly San Marino's entry that year seemed to go over everyone's head and they didn't make it through to the Grand Finale. Then over the next two years the issue of Sexting did suddenly catch everyone's attention with it constantly being on the news amid demands for governments to act.

Eurovision is really good at issues which, although they affect society, do not warrant the attention of politicians and lawmakers.

For example amongst the Eurovision nations there is a general consensus that governments have no right to interfere with the sex lives of their adult citizens.

National attitudes to things like sexuality are also constantly changing and evolving. These changes and evolutions mean that they come up time and time again at the Song Contest. Often with different results.

The Eurovision Song Contest has been a long and proud advocate for gay-rights. Often shining as a beacon for gay people surrounded by the darkness of intolerance and oppression. Such is the Song Contest's reputation it is often mistaken as simply a gay event.

Obviously in any year certain political issues are considered important by more than one country. These common interests often tend to emerge as themes. They are then discussed, often in quite a lot of specific detail, by the interested parties.

This obviously does not happen automatically. It is part of a process throughout the week of competition. Involving much bartering and horse trading both within the competition and the parties and unofficial gatherings which surround it.

One thing I have learnt over the years is that it is important to protect the integrity of this process. For me that has come to mean maintaining the discipline to limit myself to just a Twitter commentary during the Grand Finale. Rather than blurting it all out now.

Following what I consider a personal success last year I'm considering expanding the Twitter commentary to both of the Semi-Finals. However I'm not sure I have the talent to mention everyone while still protecting the integrity of the process. So competitors should not consider themselves snubbed if they're left out of what I consider an experiment.

That said the fact that the 2019 Eurovision Song Contest is being held in Israel presents a number of exceptional challenges. It has also attracted significant interest beyond its normal fanbase.

So protecting the integrity of the process might have to become a secondary concern to keeping people informed and included.

I also don't think it will come as much of a surprise as to what the main political issues this year will be.

The Israel/Palestine Conflict. 

Far from being something that it is impossible to avoid this is the entire reason why the 2019 Eurovision Song Contest is being held in Israel.

The 2018 Eurovision Song Contest, at which Israel won the right to host this year, was a subdued affair. The main political topics was really the 2016 Eurovision Song Contest and the 2017 Eurovision Song Contest. The main theme was why the Song Contest community has been making such bad decisions of late.

As a result the 2018 Song Contest was only really for hardcore Song Contest fans. People who were there in 2016 and 2017.

The exception was Israel. They had a big issue of their own that needed to be discussed.

In December 2017 US President Trump announced that America was moving its Embassy to Israel to Jerusalem. In effect recognising it, rather than Tel Aviv, as Israel's capital.

This announcement triggered universal condemnation. Including only the 11th time in history that the UN General Assembly has overturned a veto by the UN Security Council. In order to endorse a resolution condemning the move.

Such was the size of the backlash against the Embassy move the joke amongst the Song Contest community was that Israel would have to respond by going big at the 2018 Song Contest. Very big.

That is exactly what Israel did. They were represented by Netta Barzilai who is somewhat larger than your typical female popstar. That alone triggered discussion about the way that women are treated in the entertainment industry. A timely topic given the Harvey Weinstein scandal and the #MeToo movement.

In its staging Israel raised the issue of growing Chinese wealth and influence. They did this by subtly referencing the British popstar Jessie J's curious decision to appear as a contestant on a Chinese search-for-a-star style TV talent show.

This image of Jessie J surrounded by Chinese gold was conjured up by the use on stage of dozens of golden "Maneki-Neko." Or "Beckoning cats."

Along with Netta's Kimono this lead to it being attacked for "Cultural Appropriation." That strange thought-crime dreamt up by US Democrats and liberals. Which was widely mocked at the 2018 Winter Olympics, held in the Asian nation of the Republic of Korea (RoK/South).

The irony being that those accusing Netta of appropriating Chinese culture didn't realise that Maneki-Neko are Japanese in origin. It is China that culturally appropriated them.

A practice that used to be considered normal throughout all of human history. Until US liberals and Democrats got involved.

So Israel's entry was clearly the strongest and best entry in the 2018 Song Contest. By quite some distance.

The song itself was entitled; "Toy." It's main message was a protest against how western politicians, particularly American ones, treat the Israel/Palestine conflict as a toy.

Something they can play around with for a bit. Then put down when they get bored. All with scant regard for the people who actually live there.

Trump's decision to move the US Embassy to Jerusalem being a prime example of that sort of behaviour.

To that end I don't think the Israeli delegation were planning to win in 2018. Instead they were aiming to finish second.

That would allow them to go back to Israel showing that the backlash against the Embassy move had cost their far superior entry victory.

However the song was written by Doron Medalie. He is famous for writing; "Tel Aviv Ya Habibi (Tel Aviv My Love)." This is the (un)official anthem of Tel Aviv's Gay Pride Parade. It's lyrics mix Hebrew and Arabic together in a gesture of unity and tolerance.

That support for gay-rights and tolerance seems to have tipped Israel into victory. However that was not intended to be an endorsement of Israel. Instead it was intended as a protest by the Song Contest community.

A protest in favour of the tolerate, secular section of Israeli society that loves Tel Aviv and wants Tel Aviv to remain as Israel's capital. A protest against the religious, homophobic, Zionist element of Israeli society which wants to expand Israel to make Jerusalem its capital.

The fact the 2019 Song Contest is taking place in Israel allows the Song Contest community to take that protest into the heart of Israel.

Not only are Israelis being forced to see this protest they are also being forced to pay for it.

In doing this I'm a bit worried the Song Contest community might have bitten off more than it can chew.

The Israel/Palestine Conflict has been fought day-in, day-out since at least 1948. It is really one war in which there have been numerous, large battles. As a result it is not something that can be fitted easily into a handy tourist guide.

Whatever you may feel about it the current, official, legal situation is that there is just one nation. Israel.

A narrow majority of Israel's population are Jewish. Those of a Nazi bent consider Jewishness to be an ethnic group. However it is a religious group. Amongst Israel's Jewish population there are actually a variety of ethnic groups.

The largest ethnic group in Israel are Mizrahi Jews. These are Arab or Middle-Eastern Jews, local to the area around Israel. Most Israeli Jews are now native born within Israel. Meaning the majority of them are Mizrahi Jews.

Another sizable ethnic group are Ashkenazi Jews. These are northern European Jews, predominately for Eastern Europe. Mainly Russia, now the exit visas have come through.

Then there are the Sephardi Jews. These are Hispanic Jews, predominately from the area around Spain, Portugal and the wider Iberian Peninsula.

You also get much smaller groups such as Bukaharan Jews who are from Central Asia, Cochin Jews who come from India.

One group that will surprise many, including other Israeli Jews,  are the Abayuda and Falashim Jews. They are from sub-Saharan, East Africa. In short they are Black.

A narrow minority of Israelis are Arab. That is an ethnic rather than a religious group. Although the majority of them are Muslim Israeli Arabs actually follow a variety of religions including Christianity and the Druze religion.

Israel's Arab population also includes the Bedouin. They are neither an ethnic group nor a religious one. They tend to be both Arab and Muslim.

However the Bedouin are considered distinct because of their lifestyle. They are nomadic arable and livestock farmers. Although they have no real link to European Gypsies they do follow a similar lifestyle.

Within the nation of Israel some of the Arab population live in two semi-autonomous regions. The West Bank, to the east which borders Jordan and the Gaza Strip. Which sits to the south-west, bordering Egypt and the Mediterranean Sea.

The solution to the Israel/Palestine Conflict that has long been supported by the international community is known as the Two State Solution.

This involves turning those two semi-autonomous regions into a nation state. Creating the nation state of Israel and, next to it, the nation state of Palestine.

Under the Two State Solution the city of Jerusalem has Corpus Separatum or "Separated Body" status. Meaning that it is neither part of Israel nor part of Palestine. A solution which is guaranteed to offend Israel's Jews and Arabs equally.

Despite the supposed support of the international community the Two State Solution has yet to materialise.

From here on in though I will be referring to Gaza and the West Bank as; "Palestine" and the Arabs who live there as; "Palestinians."

When it comes to Arabs living outside of Gaza or the West Bank the question of identity is much more complicated. Many of them actually don't want to leave Israel to go and live in the nation of Palestine. The Druze for example.

So I will continue to refer to that group of people as; "Israeli Arabs" or "Arab Israelis."

Since the 1979 Islamic Revolution one of the single largest supporters of the Palestinian people has been Iran. That is despite Iranians generally belonging to the Persian ethnic group rather than being Arab themselves.

As an outsider I often think that culturally Israeli Jews and Iranians have much more in common than either side would like to admit.

They would both certainly fit right in at the Eurovision Song Contest. They both seem to rigidly and voluntarily stick to the Song Contest's "No Overt Politics" rule. In all aspects of their lives.

Within Israeli society the example I often point at to illustrate this is the issue of public transport on Shabbat. The Jewish Sabbath.

Jewish religious law forbids any form of work on the Sabbath. As the influence of religious parties have grown in Israeli politics this has led to secular laws banning people from working on the Sabbath. Meaning that public transport does not operate in Israel on the Sabbath.

This is obviously extremely annoying if you are Israeli but not Jewish. Or if you are Jewish but not particularly religious and just want to catch a bus on a Saturday.

So you would think that people in Israel would protest demanding public transport be allowed to operate on the Sabbath.

That though would be too overtly political.

So instead the protest about government ministers being allowed to use chauffeur driven cars on the Sabbath. They even protested about Jewish convert Ivanka Trump being allowed to ride in a limousine to President Trump's inauguration. Which took place on the Sabbath.

In a small victory for that section of Israeli society the Song Contest has forced Israel to issue some 2,000 permits allowing people to work on the Sabbath. Meaning that, in Tel Aviv at least, public transport will operate on Shabbat.

Iranians speak Farsi rather than Arabic. Farsi is a naturally very poetic language which relies heavily on metaphor and simile. So I don't think that at any point in the history of the world any Iranian has ever said exactly what they mean.

For example when Iranians chant; "Death to America" they're not literally threatening to kill Americans. In much the same way the phrase; "F*ck You" is rarely used to mean; "I find you very attractive and would like to have sex with you." 

Between Iran and Israel Iran's support for Palestine is discussed in terms of Iran's Nuclear Program. The one thing you can be certain of with that is neither side are actually talking about Iran's nuclear program.

In 2008 Barack Obama became US President. He was immediately awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for apparently no reason whatsoever. Obama took this Nobel award as a sign that it was he who would finally bring peace between Israel and Palestine.

Unfortunately President Obama didn't want to do any of the work.

So instead he set about shutting down the discussions between Iran and Israel. By imposing tough sanction on Iran over its actual nuclear program. The lifting of those sanctions under the so-called Iran Nuclear Deal (JCPOA) was President Obama being forced to admit that he'd made a horrible mistake.

Apparently the Israel/Palestine Conflict is not an executive toy for American Presidents.

Although it was utterly beyond Eurovision's control the First Semi-Final in 2017 actually began with President Trump announcing he was ripping up JCPOA and reintroducing Obama's sanctions.

That was immediately followed by Israel launching the largest wave of airstrikes against Syria since 1974. Which seemed to be Israel smacking Trump around the head for repeating Obama's mistakes.

I think you can see why I'm taking the Eurovision Song Contest very seriously this year.

President Trump's Middle-East policy seems to be entirely dictated by Saudi Arabia rather than Israel. As Azerbaijan seem well aware.

In supporting the Palestinians Iran is aided by its longtime ally and Israel's neighbour Syria. This is another thing which former President Obama found far too complicated to learn about in his efforts to solve the Israel/Palestine Conflict.

So following some very insane advice Obama decided to help create the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and associated groups to overthrow the Syrian government. In order to remove the complex alliance between Iran, Syria and Palestine.

ISIL are amongst the absolute worse humanity has ever seen. Sadly they are not even the worst group in the Syria conflict. The Army of Islam/Jaish al-Islam who are often referred to as; "The Moderate Opposition" consider ISIL too moderate and have murdered ISIL members accordingly.

Obviously Israel does not want that on its border. Nobody does.

However Israel joining the war directly would only make ISIL and its associates stronger. So instead Israel is being forced to play out this complex strategy of relying on its enemy Iran to defeat its other enemies, ISIL and associates. While making sure that its enemy Iran doesn't become even stronger.

This situation is so astonishingly complex that no-one involved, Israel, Iran, Syria etc, has the energy or "bandwidth" to deal with anything else.

So far from helping the Palestinians former President Obama, and his insane advisors, have caused the Israel/Palestine Conflict to become the Middle-East's forgotten war.

Although it is probably what Israel is most famous for you'd be surprised how little the Israel/Palestine Conflict comes up in Israel's day-to-day politics.

Israel has famously walled off the West Bank. It has also built a similar security barrier around Gaza. So with the exception of periodic rocket fire into the farmland around Gaza many Israelis are able to completely ignore the conflict as they go about their everyday lives.

On the rare occasions the conflict does make an appearance in Israeli politics it is normally only people complaining about the compulsory military service it requires. Or the religious, Zionist parties demanding permission to annex more of the West Bank.

The rest of the time Israeli politics is dominated by the sort of issues that dominate in most normal countries. The economy and the competence of the government in providing public services.

While everyone has been distracted the situation in Palestine has continued to deteriorate. Particulary in Gaza.

Although it is hard to pick just one issue Gaza's main problem is a lack of electricity. This is making it impossible to provide the essentials for human survival.

Things like powering water pumps at desalination plants needed to produce drinking water from sea water. Or powering sewage treatment facilities needed to make human waste safe.

Tel Aviv is known as; "The White City." In reference to the beauty of its white sandy beaches. Just a few kilometres down the coast Gaza's beaches are covered in raw sewage and human waste. To be blunt, Sh*t.

As for healthcare in Gaza you can pretty much forget about it. Without electricity Gaza's hospitals can't even provide the basics. If you suffer an injury to your arms or legs all Gaza's doctors can do is amputate. They won't even be able to provide you with prosthetic limbs or after care.

Without electricity almost all economic activity in Gaza has stopped. A full 50% of the population are unemployed and those who are employed rarely get paid on time or to the full amount.

In March 2018 Palestinians in Gaza started the Great March of Return protests on Friday afternoons. Now in their second year these protests see Palestinian civilians march up to the border fence between Gaza and Israel where they are, more often than not, shot at by the Israeli security forces.

If you've been following the Israel/Palestine Conflict you will have become used to the Israeli security forces killing Palestinian civilians out of little more than racism. You will also have become used to Palestinian militants strapping on suicide bombs to kill Israelis and die as Martyrs for their cause.

You will certainly have become used to civilians on all sides being torn apart in the crossfire. The innocent collateral damage of war.

The March of Return protests have introduced something new, and even darker.

Gaza's protesters are not under any illusion that the Israeli security forces will shoot them and likely kill them. They're not though preparing to die as Martyrs, killing as many Jews as possible in their attack.

Instead now Palestinians are prepared to die because they simply cannot bear to live in Gaza anymore.

It is the phenomenon of "Suicide-by-Cop." Only on a society wide scale.

That is something which should frighten everyone.

Protest groups such as Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) often claim that the situation in Gaza is entirely Israel's fault. The result of a blockade of Gaza Israel introduced in 2007.

That is not quite true. Israel did impose of blockade of Gaza in 2007. However the ended it in 2013. On an extremely technical level Israel does not currently impose a blockade of Gaza.

What Israel does do is restrict, by placing quotas on, certain goods entering Gaza. These are goods which Israel argues threatens the health of its citizens. Construction materials which can be used to build military bunkers and attack tunnels being a prime example.

Admittedly, unless you are an international trade lawyer, it can be quite hard to tell how this is different from an Israeli blockade of Gaza. Particularly as Israel is constantly, and seemingly randomly, changing the restrictions and quotas. In an effort to make the whole process as difficult as possible.

However the main driver of the current situation is a long-running dispute between Palestine's two main political parties. Fatah and Hamas.

Fatah control the West Bank. Officially they are a secular party with no religious affiliation.

Although even they seem to have forgotten it Fatah were originally founded as a Revolutionary Socialist party. Part of the Cold War Arc of Resistance which also included the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) and the Irish Republican Socialist Party/Irish National Liberation Army (IRSP/INLA).

As a result there has always been a high level of solidarity between Palestinians and Irish Republicans. The Republic of Ireland delegation has come under particular pressure to withdraw from the Song Contest this year. Although, after last year, that doesn't seem to be their main worry.

Hamas control Gaza. They are an Islamist party. Meaning that they wish to create Palestine as a Muslim state run in accordance with Sharia law. It must be said though that compared to other Muslim states run in accordance with Sharia law in the region Hamas are actually extremely moderate.

Hamas' name presents an interesting talking point about the power of language. The acronym HAMAS is similar to a Hebrew word meaning to crush or violently oppress. As in you would hamas a bug. Convincing native Hebrew speakers to accept Hamas is the probably hardest thing in the world.

Regardless of the political party the governing body for Palestine is the Palestinian Authority. In 2006 elections were held for the Palestinian Authority. These were won by Hamas.

Neither Fatah nor Israel were prepared to accept that. So Fatah refused to cede control of the Palestinian Authority and Israel imposed the 2007 blockade.

In June 2007 Hamas and Fatah fought a short civil war for control of Gaza. This saw Hamas take control, in line with the election result, and Fatah forced out. Since then a seriously weakened Fatah have been trying to destroy Hamas from the West Bank.

Technically Gaza and the West Bank are semi-autonomous regions within the nation of Israel. As a result the economic relationship between Israel and Palestine is extremely complicated.

Basically though Israel has responsibility for collecting Palestine's tax revenues. Things like import/export duties and the payroll/income taxes of Palestinians who work in Israel. Israel then passes that money to the Palestinian Authority which has responsibility for disbursing it throughout Palestine.

Despite losing the election Fatah still control the Palestinian Authority. In their efforts to destroy Hamas Fatah have simply stopped disbursing money to Gaza.

This means that public sector workers in Gaza either do not get paid at all or get paid late and less than the full amount. With the public sector being the largest employer in Gaza this effectively starved the region of cash, shutting down all economic activity.

Gaza's electricity crisis is also largely Fatah's doing.

The Palestinian Authority has responsibility to negotiating and paying for the roughly 125MW of electricity Gaza imports from Israel. Giving them complete control over it.

In April 2017 the Fatah controlled Palestinian Authority decided it was simply not going to pay Gaza's electricity bill. As they would with any other debtor the Israeli electricity companies then cut off Gaza's electricity supply over non-payment of bills.

That left Gaza entirely dependent on its one diesel-fired power station. Which only produces around 60MW. On the rare occasions that Israel and the Fatah controlled Palestinian Authority allow it to be supplied with fuel.

Israel of course is very happy with this conflict between Hamas and Fatah. And frequently put pressure on Fatah to keep it going.

After all it allows Israel to see Palestinians suffer.

While being able to legitimately claim that they are not the ones putting Gaza under a blockade.

11:35 on 14/5/19 (UK date)