The Eurovision Song Contest Was Traditionally a Campy Joy – But It Has Evolved Into a Calculated Tool to Whitewash War.

An freshly coined initialism surfaced a couple of months following the onset of Israel’s bombardment of Gaza. Referred to as WCNSF, it stands for “Child casualty without any family left”. This designation is specific to Gaza, according to health professionals including child health specialists. Ordinarily, it is unusual for physicians to treat a child who has seen the death of their complete family. But, there has been nothing “normal” regarding 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 region in the world. No sense of normalcy about scores of doctors coming back from a landscape of rubble with reports of children being intentionally shot at.

A Living Nightmare In Spite Of a Supposed Ceasefire

Conditions in Gaza persist as hell on earth. Vital medicines and equipment are being blocked those in need, and groups like Amnesty International contend that genocidal acts are ongoing. Authorities rejects these accusations, just as it disavows each claim it is implicated in. Yet as young survivors are now freezing in improvised encampments, there is a piece of uplifting information: apparently nothing is going to stop the Eurovision from pursuing its stated mission of “togetherness and artistic sharing.” The contest will continue to roll out a welcoming platform for Israel, even though a number of European countries have now pulled out in protest. Because this, it seems, is what global togetherness resembles.

The contest, notably prohibited Russia from competing in 2022 over the “unprecedented crisis in Ukraine”. But the crisis in Gaza appears to be entirely distinct.

A Selective Vision

Disregard the reality that Israel was criticized for questionable voting tactics last year in what appears to have been an effort to manipulate Eurovision. Ignore the report that a young child was reportedly killed in Gaza recently. Pay no mind to the evidence that attacks by settlers and systematic expulsions in the West Bank have increased dramatically. Overlook the situation that foreign reporters are still denied freely reporting in Gaza. None of this, apparently, should be allowed to get in the way of Eurovision’s much-touted ethos of unity.

The Contest Continues Amidst Staggering Tragedy

Eurovision turns 70 next year – nearly twice the average life expectancy of an individual in Gaza today. The show may go on, but it will never be able to restore the pure, unadulterated fun it historically embodied. An institution that once promoted harmony has now become a cynical way to sanitize military aggression.