The Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) is the biggest music competition in the world. More than 200 million people watched it on television yesterday. Alongside the songs, what viewers at home also saw was a constant stream of hatred directed at Israel from the streets of Malmö in Sweden, the host city for this year’s competition, andpersistent booing during the Israeli singer Eden Golan’s performance in the hall.
Golan had been forced to rewrite her song prior to the festival and was banned from expressing her sorrow for her fellow Israelis who tragically lost their lives on October 7, 2023. The reason: the Eurovision Song Contest does not allow political lyrics. For me, that was the biggest scandal: the fact that mourning the individuals killed at a music festival in Israel just seven months ago was censored at a music competition. Because politics supposedly has no place here. Is demonstrating empathy and solidarity for victims of violence considered political, while the demonstrative display of a “woke” attitude is not?
In the days leading up to the contest, artists from a number of countries openly displayed their contempt for the singer from Israel. Belgian television aired protest messages against Israel, and a score announcer in the semi-final displayed her disapproval by refusing to even mention Israel by name.
However, a remarkable turn of events occurred when the majority of viewers refused to share the same sentiments. They cast their votes in favor of the Israeli singer, whether out of support for Israel or simplybecause they liked her music and would not be guided by political ideologies. If it were up to the viewers alone, Israel would have secured an impressive second place finish. In the end, Israel came 5th overall, but only because of the spectators. The jury only gave Israel 52 points (365 for Switzerland), putting them in 12th place.
The silent majority finally had an opportunity to voice their opinion. Unfortunately, it has to be said that artists –just like intellectuals – are rarely right when they comment on political matters. In the cultural scene, which claims to be non-conformist but is extremely conformist, it is almost expected that everyone should align with left-wing ideologies. And being left-wing today also means adhering to a “woke,” “post-colonialist”ideology, for which Israel is the incarnation of colonialism and capitalism.
Historically, anti-Semitism and anti-capitalism have often occurred together – from the socialist Eugen Dühring to the National Socialist Adolf Hitler. It is therefore no wonder that today, at left-wing universities all across the western world, which have become the leading bastions of anti-capitalist sentiment, animosity towards Israel is so prevalent.
However, it is important to recognize that this is a small minority that is amplified by the media because so many media people are themselves left-wingers. And because it is such a shrill, loud, and aggressive minority. Whereas the majority remains silent. However,sometimes the silent majority gets a chance to show thatit is not at all impressed by the ideology of this “woke”minority. Like yesterday, when the majority judged the Israeli singer solely on her musical performance.
Of course, the majority is by no means always right. Sometimes they are terribly wrong. There are many examples of this today, as there have been throughout history. But the vote in the Eurovision competition gives cause for hope. The majority want nothing to do with the left-wing Israel-haters led by “climate activist” Greta Thunberg. In these terrible times, when many Jews no longer feel safe to wear a kippah in their own neighborhoods and Jews are denied entry to universities by left-wing “activists,” the SC vote is a positive sign.
Joe Biden should perhaps seriously consider whether it is such a good idea to bow to the vocal minority of left-wing Israel-haters out of opportunistic deference tothose on the left of his party by refusing to demonstratesolidarity with Israel in its hour of need.
Rainer Zitelmann is a historian and the author of the books Hitler’s National Socialism https://hitlers-national-socialism.com/ and How Nations Escape Povertyhttps://nations-escape-poverty.com/