A delayed continuation of; https://watchitdie.blogspot.com/2019/12/eurovision-2019-asie-israelpalestine_23.html
Iceland: They were represented by "Hatari" with the song; "Hatiro Mun Sigra (Hate Will Prevail)."
This entry was inspired by the song; "Musclebound" by the British Post-Punk/New Romantic band; "Spandau Ballet."
The band's name is a direct reference to the Nazi Holocaust.
A Spandau Ballet being a term used to describe the way the bodies of, particularly Jews, contorted. As they were being killed by the Nerve Agent; "Zyklon B" in gas chambers disguised as shower blocks. At the Spandau and other death camps.
The song "Musclebound" revels in this connection.
Making reference to books being burned (by Nazis), rising 'steam' (in the gas chambers) and fires being built to last into morning (crematoria). Whilst invoking the style of Verdi's; "Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves" from; "Nabucco." As it is often mistaken for "Anvil Chorus" from Verdi's; "Il Trovatore."
So Iceland began the process of choosing their 2019 Eurovision Song Contest entry by asking themselves one simple question;
"What's THE most offensive thing we could do?!"
A fitting tribute to the hosts. Hebrew continues to be a language that still has no words to describe the concept of; "Too Far."
On the surface though the song "Musclebound" seems to be invoking images of a gay men's nightclub. With lots of reference to musclebound men. Getting all sweaty amid lots of leather and whips.
Iceland's entry builds on that theme. Making Bondage, Domination, Submission and Masochism (BDSM) the main motif of the performance.
BDSM is actually a combination of two sexual fetishes.
People who get pleasure from tying up and dominating other people. Along with people who get pleasure from being tied up and submitting to the domination of others.
Traditionally those who enjoy the BD element are known as; "Masters." While those who enjoy the SM element are known as; "Slaves."
However The Netherland's 2017 Eurovision entry invoked the spectacle of a US Democrat or "Confederate" at a (Libyan) Slave auction. Generation Snowflake could not cope with that at all.
So the 2019 Song Contest saw the term; "King" being used instead of "Master" to describe those who enjoy the BD element. While the term; "Queen" was used instead of the term; "Slave" to describe those who enjoy the SM element.
Through BD/SM sex Iceland set out to explore the Israel/Palestine Conflict.
In this metaphor the Israelis are obviously the BD loving Kings. Who seem to take a great deal of pleasure from keeping the Palestinians suffering in misery.
While the Palestinians are obviously the Queens. Condemned to suffering in chains.
You could argue that is where the metaphor breaks down.
While it may seem strange to outsiders the core elements of BDSM are consent and mutual respect. The Kings consent to participate because it gives them pleasure. While the Queens also consent to participate because it gives them pleasure.
The Israel/Palestine Conflict seems to be totally lacking in mutal respect. However the controversial question Iceland were asking is; "Do the Palestinians actually enjoy being treated the way that they are?"
One important resource in understand the Israel/Palestine Conflict is the 2012 documentary movie; "The Gatekeepers."
This sees senior figures in Israel's security and political apparatus sit down and simply tell the camera. What they did in the Israel/Palestine Conflict.
One interview is with an Israeli negotiator during the 2000 Intifada (Uprising). He tells of an exchange with one of his Palestinian counterparts.
In which he points to all the suffering that has been inflicted on both sides. Then asks the Palestinian what his strategy for victory is.
The Palestinian replies; "Our suffering is our victory."
This is widely taken to mean the so-called; "Martyrdom Mentality."
A strategy amongst Palestinian, and other Arab militants. That if they can provoke their opponents - the Israelis - into conducting percieved atrocities. Such as firing rockets from a UN school, forcing their opponents to bomb that school.
Then that will trigger international outrage. Which will put pressure on the Israelis to make concessions.
By suggesting that the Palestinians take an almost sexual pleasure from seeing their people suffer. Iceland can hardly be viewed as expressing support for this strategy.
Iceland's criticism though seems not to be directed at the Palestinians themselves. In fact it seems to be defending them.
The song's lyrics are all about suffering (being inflicted by the Israelis) turning into (Palestianian) despair. That despair then turning into hate. The hate that prevails.
Instead Iceland's criticism seems mainly directed at the Western Leftist Protesters.
The people who are either so stupid as to be taken in by this sort of atrocity propaganda. Or are so rabidly anti-Semitic they do get an almost sexual pleasure from seeing Palestinians suffer. As it gives them an excuse to rant about the Jews.
In their biography Hatari describe themselves not as a band. But as a; "Techno-Punk, Anti-Capitalist Performance Art Collective." Something which is very much in the language of western leftist protesters.
The type of art Hatari engage in is very much in the; "Situationist" school. Which involves taking an everyday situation and subverting slightly. In order to break the trance and force people to question and think about that everyday situation.
One of the most famous Situationist artists currently working is the British artist Banksy. One of his most famous works, particularly in Israel/Palestine, is his; "Walled Off Hotel."
This sits directly alongside the Seperation Barrier between Israel and the Palestinian West Bank. Which the artist describes as the; "Apartheid Wall."
The fact that it is a luxury hotel built where no-one would want to visit, let alone live, is the subversion Banky is trying to bring to the situation. As a form of protest.
The Seperation Barrier/Apartheid Wall is a highly relevent example of the Palestinians role as Queens in the BDSM metaphor.
The Israelis officially describe it as a Seperation Barrier. A necessary security precaution. Needed to prevent Palestinian suicide bombers crossing from the West Bank to kill Israeli Jews.
Others describe it as an Apartheid Wall. Seeing it as nothing more than an excuse to further exclude Israeli Arabs from Israeli society. While stealing ever more of the land that should be used as part of a Palestinian State. Under; "The Two State Solution."
This second camp includes many Israeli Jews. Who will loudly tell me, you, anyone who'll listen. Along with many who won't. All about how the fellow countrymen abuse the Palestinians and how the wall should be torn down.
The reason why that group of Israeli Jews lost the argument though was the 2000 Intifada.
There the Palestinians sent wave-after-wave of suicide bombers on what they term; "Martyrdom Operations." To kill as many Israeli Jews as possible within Israel. The June 1st 2001 (1/6/01) bombing of the Dolphinarium Nightclub in Tel Aviv particularly sticks in my memory.
As the deathtoll grew it became impossible to argue that something shouldn't be done to stop the carnage. So the Seperatation Barrier/Apartheid Wall was built in 2002. A decade after it was first proposed.
A clear example of the suffering of Palestinian Martyrs only bringing more suffering to the Palestinians. It doesn't look like victory to me.
The world of western leftist protesters can be broadly divided into two camps. The Fluffies and the Spikeys.
The Flufflies being the people who circulate petitions, hand out fliers and march peacefully. While the Spikeys are the ones who fight with police and smash windows.
Both Banksy and Hatari fit into the Spikey camp.
Banksy is of course very protective of his privacy. Refusing to allow his true identity, let alone his background, become public knowledge.
Hatari on the other hand are very open about who they are. Not only using their real names but also providing detailed biographies as part of their entry.
Those biographies reveal what wealthy and privileged backgrounds Hatari come from.
Klemens Nikulasson Hannigan is the son of the head of the Department of Trade at Iceland's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and a senior partner at LMB Mandat. The largest corporate law firm in Iceland.
Matthais Tryggvi Haraldson is the son of the head of LMB Mandat.
The guy with the giant cotton-bud drumstick is Elnar Hrafn Stefansson. The son of Iceland's Ambassador to Britain.
This type of wealthy and privileged background is extremely common amongst both Fluffies and Spikeys within western leftist protest circles.
Although, like Banksy, they prefer to keep it a secret. While spouting their guff about smashing capitalism and freeing the working classes from their chains.
So the situation Hatari were trying to subvert was Banksy's status as some sort of revolutionary Situationist artist.
Something Banksy seems to have since decided to take out on me.
Which I can only find amusing.
What with Banksy seriously believing that he was able to outsmart Israeli intelligence. To open a hotel right on one of the most heavily fortified borders on the planet.
Only to then lose his nerve.
When the Waldorf Astoria hotel chain threaten to sue him for copyright infringement. Causing him to change the name of the piece from; "Walled Off Astoria" to "Walled Off Hotel."
So Banksy may or may not be a man. But he's certainly a dick.
It was in that spirit. That Hatari unfurled a scarf bearing the Palestinian flag. During the results section of the Grand Finale. In clear violation of the Song Contest's golden; "No Overt Politics" rule.
As Situationists Hatari were not doing this to protest Israel, in support of the Palestinians.
They were doing it to subvert and mock. The type of western leftist protesters who thought that's what they were doing.
The unfurling of that scarf was merely the final act. In what had been a two week long Situationist performance by Hatari.
One of the main elements of this performance was this carbonated Icelandic mineral water drink. "Soda Dream."
Claiming that it is the source of their talent. Hatari insisted on having bottles of Soda Dream with them at all times. Including at the official press conferences. It total defiance of the Song Contest's own corporate sponsors and sponsorship rules.
That could no doubt be viewed as striking a blow against Capitalism and the Corporations. By the sort of people who view Banksy as some sort of revolutionary Situationist artist.
However it was mainly a reference to a 2014 US Super Bowl commercial made by Scarlett Johansson. For the, then, Israeli owned SodaStream company.
Taking a very jokey tone this saw Scarlett Johansson declare that as a celebrity her real job was to change the world. Then highlighting how choosing SodaStream over Coke or Pepsi helps to reduce plastic waste and Green House Gas (ghg) emissions.
The real intention though seemed to be to provoke discussion about SodaStream's role within the Israel/Palestine Conflict. Particularly it's Lehavim plant in the Israeli Occupied, Palestinian West Bank.
Honestly, I think most people's reaction was along the lines of; "*shrugs* Hmm. I didn't realise Scarlett Johansson was Jewish." Before moving on with their lives.
Amongst those familiar with the Israel/Palestine Conflict though. It certainly did provoke a lot of discussion.
The western leftists who unquestionly support the "Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS)" campaign group. They immediately condemned Scarlett Johansson.
Launching ferocious attacks against her as Jew and as a woman. Rape threats and all the other usual Twitter pleasentaries.
Those with a more nuanced understanding of the Israel/Palestine Conflict attempted to defend her. Pointing out that while SodaStream's Lehavim plant was in an illegal
Israeli settlement it was amongst the least of Israel's crimes.
It acted as something of a mechanism for peace through prosperity.
Boosting the Palestinian economy by providing jobs in an area where they
are scarce.
Along with providing an environment where Israeli Jews and Palestinian Arabs worked together in peace. Helping to break down barriers and show both communities that the other isn't the sort of cartoon villian they're so often portrayed as.
In the end the debate got so furious that the commercial was banned. Officially on the grounds that it violated the Super Bowl's corporate sponorship rules. Directly criticising the Super Bowl's main sponsor - Pepsi.
Pepsi then proceeded to buy SodaStream. Making one of it's first acts as owners to close the Lehavim plant. Putting 1,400 Palestinians out of work.
Not only did Hatari go to the trouble of having cases of this totally fake "Soda Dream" made. They also produced a marketing website for it; SodaDream.is
A website that looks legitimate at first glance.
Until you start reading into the details of the claims. Which soon become more and more ridiculous. Such as Iceland producing more winners of the Miss Universe contest than any other nation. Entirely as the result of Soda Dream.
So just for that I think Hatari are going to go down in all time Eurovision legend. Simply for bringing a whole new level to the game.
Part 4 to follow.
18:20 on 15/1/21 (UK date).
Edited at aroun 14:45 on 18/1/21 (UK date) to tidy.
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