Eric Saade, who opened this year’s concert, appeared on stage with a keffiyeh, an Arabic headgear commonly known as an “arafatka”, wrapped around his hands. There were voices on the Internet that in this way the Swedish singer, who has Palestinian roots, wanted to support one of the sides of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, which has become very intense over the last few months.
Eric Saade with a political accent at Eurovision. Criticism towards the EBU
Eric Saade commented on the situation on InstaStories. “Why is freedom controversial? Why do we say it is a political gesture? As far as I know, freedom is a human right!” – he wrote. However, there were voices that such gestures should not happen at Eurovision, in accordance with many years and repeated declarations of the organizers. Many viewers hoped that the European Broadcasting Union would not at least promote the Swedish singer’s performance on its social media.
“Shame on you, EBU”, “Great news! The guy doesn’t respect the rules… a good example for others who might have considered similar behavior”, “this shows the double standards that the EBU follows” – these are just some of the comments on the Internet. They are a reaction to the European Broadcasting Union’s decision not to show Saade on social media.
It is worth recalling that this is not the first time that expressions of support for Palestine appeared on stage without prior arrangement with the organizers. In 2019, Madonna, who was the star of the evening, showed the Palestinian flag. This time, however, the EBU could have expected that a Palestinian accent would appear on the stage – the Swedish singer had already clearly expressed his position on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Despite this, the EBU decided to invite him to the stage. It is also worth noting that Saade’s hand was not tied during the ordeal. It appeared on his hand only during the live semi-final.
Eric Saade on his second try Photo REUTERS/Jessica Gow
When asked by Euromix, the organizer’s representative admitted that the organization regretted that the singer had chosen such a way to politicize the competition. Interestingly, some international photo agencies commented on Saade’s photos with the “arafatka” – “not for publication in Sweden”.
Israel will perform on Thursday
On Thursday, the representative of Israel will appear in the second semi-final. It is known that the Swedish services are afraid of street demonstrations, especially from Palestinian migrants living in Malmo. Therefore, the state authorities immediately before and during Eurovision. They also took other precautions.
Eden Golan’s performance itself is controversial – many people believe that a representative of a country that is involved in an armed conflict like Israel should not take part in the competition. Participants from nine countries taking part in this year’s competition expressed their opposition to various forms of hatred. “It is important for us to stand in solidarity with the oppressed and convey our heartfelt wishes for peace, an immediate and lasting ceasefire and the safe return of all hostages. We are united against all forms of hatred, including anti-Semitism and Islamophobia,” the statement reads. .
Source: Gazeta
Bruce is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment . He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the industry.
