12 mei, Utrecht: info night “Eurovision in Tel Aviv: Artwashing Apartheid”

Sunday May 12th, 20h30 – 22h00

Organised by Barricade and DocP

This year, the Eurovision Song Contest will take place in Tel Aviv, Israel. Although Eurovision claims to be a non-political event promoting unity and diversity amongst participating countries, we all know too well that it is far from a-political. This is especially true for this year’s hosting country.

Israel’s regime of military occupation, settler-colonialism and apartheid is shamelessly using Eurovision as part of its official Brand Israel strategy. It will cover up its human rights violations and war crimes with songs about (LGBTQIA+) inclusion, diversity and unity. But what do inclusion, diversity and unity mean in a country that keeps a military rule over millions, denying them basic rights, including the right to vote? What do those terms mean when one fifth of Israeli citizens, Palestinian Arabs, are denied equal rights by law? When Israel cages 2 million Palestinians in the largest open air prison, Gaza, depriving them of electricity, medical care, clean drinking water while killing them with tanks, snipers, drones and aircrafts? When millions of Palestinians are condemned to a life of stateless refugees, without the right to return to their homeland?

That is the reason why Palestinian artists as well as the Palestinian LGBTQIA+ community have urged EBU member states, artists, journalists and audience to pull out of Eurovision this year. A large campaign was launched to support the Palestinian call.

At this info night, we will tell you all about the campaign for boycott of Eurovision in Tel Aviv. We will explain why and how it is part of the Brand Israel strategy. Also we will explain the BDS movement, its origins, its demands and the place of the cultural and academic boycott within the BDS movement.

We hope to inspire you to become active for Palestinian rights!