"I love you all," exclaimed Dutch Joost Klein, wearing a fake smile at the beginning of Europapa, his country's entry at the Eurovision Song Contest, thought to be one of the more outstanding in this year's competition and a likely contender for the top prize. But his behavior toward the Israeli delegation was like his smile, phony and disingenuous.
He was ultimately booted out before the finals in an incident involving what was described as inappropriate behavior after a member of the production staff filed a complaint with local police, alleging he threatened her. But on stage, he was full of smiles.
During a press conference after the semi-finals, Klein covered his face when Israel's Eden Golan answered a question from a reporter. The Greek representative pretended to be asleep at that moment.
A Polish journalist then asked Golan whether she was not concerned that her presence at the competition put everyone there at risk. When the EBU representative moderating the event told Golan she did not have to answer the provocative question, Klein pumped up, asking "why not?"
There is a common thread that runs from the Polish reporter's question to Klein's attitude toward Golan. In his song, he reminisced about his father telling him that there are no boundaries in the world. He sang about the ease and freedom to travel all over the European Union and visit its member states.
The reality for Israel does not comport with that vision of the world, as it sits surrounded by enemies who never accepted its very existence and await the chance to destroy it. When Israel's borders were broken down on October 7, the result was a mass, barbaric massacre, which in a symbolic twist, focused also on a music festival where young people gathered to celebrate love and youth.
Who wouldn't want a world without war? But Klein, the Polish reporter and some of the contestants all regarded Israel as the single threat to world peace. They asked why Israel insisted on showing up while others wondered why Jews insisted on living in a Muslim-majority Middle East. But beyond their ignorance of Jewish history, they would be well advised to refresh their memory of events in Europe in the 1930s and 1940s. Perhaps a visit to the death camp at Auschwitz would be beneficial.
The toxic and childish behavior toward Golan did not gain any respect for the competition and, in hindsight, may have benefited Golan and the Israeli delegation. Song director Yoav Tzafir said that the behavior of some of the competitors and some in the audience resulted in Golan being viewed as the victim of abuse by the average viewer.
While the pro-Palestinian protesters brought politics and bullying into the musical event, Golan conducted herself impeccably with unending poise and therefore was much easier to identify with. President Issac Herzog was right to insist on Israel participating.
What is there to say about Ireland's representative Bambie Thug? A self-described queer, who uses the non-binary personal pronouns "they" and "them." They would have likely been thrown off a roof in Gaza, but that did not stop them from siding with Hamas and proclaiming that Israel's qualification to the finals made them cry. Those tears may have been appropriate when Golan scored more points than Ireland in the finals.
Switzerland's Nemo, also self-described as a non-binary artist, boycotted the rehearsal of the flag parade ahead of the finals in protest of Israel. They too had likely not heard of Hamas' opinion of men in skirts. Siding with the underdog has never been more ridiculous.
It is worth reminding the Spanish reporter, who shouted "free Palestine" at Golan during rehearsals, that fundamentalist Islam seeks a caliphate that would reconquer some of the countries that had been under Muslim rule in their distant past, Spain included.
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Eden Golan in the final performance at the Eurovision Song Contest
(Photo: GIl Nechushtan)
The Eurovision Song Contest was a rare opportunity for the silent European majority to express its voice in the face of radical Islam and the antisemitic radical left that had gone too far. While contestants avoided taking their photo with Golan, fearing bullying online if those appeared, the public at home told the young Israeli singer that she was not alone.
Her pain was evident in her voice as she performed and was recognized as the pain of an entire nation that did not choose this war but was dragged into it. The viewers in 14 countries awarded Golan the full 12 points for her performance in the finals, more than any other country received.
Shmuel MunitzPhoto: Uri BareketNot everyone hates Israel. Not everyone is duped by the anti-Israel propaganda. Some see the calls for an intifada in Malmo and are shaken. Some Eurovision fans remember how well they were received in Tel Aviv and how similar it was to their liberal Western values. Some may have voted for Israel to make the point, and some were likely able to put politics aside and reward Golan's stellar performance.
Perhaps this expression of a silent majority would bring hope to Israel.