Once again seeing discussions about how Russia was banned from ESC because of their broadcaster somehow, conveniently, breaking rules at the same time people were demanding it would be banned because of Ukraine. I'm getting so fucking tired of this. Sent an email to EBU.
Hi.
In your statement about why Russia was banned from Eurovision but israel is not, you write that
We are aware of the many voices calling to exclude Israel from this year’s competition in the same way as we excluded the Russian broadcaster in 2022 following the invasion of Ukraine. Comparisons between wars and conflicts are complex and difficult and, as a non-political media organization, not ours to make. In the case of Russia, the Russian broadcasters themselves were suspended from the EBU due to their persistent breaches of membership obligations and the violation of public service values (https://eurovision.tv/mediacentre/frequently-asked-questions-israel-24).
However, we live in a time where every statement made in the past can be googled very easily, and find eg. this article by the Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2022/dec/30/eurovision-chief-russia-ban-stands-for-ultimate-values-democracy
In the article, Martin Österdahl states, that:
The Eurovision chief has said Russia’s ongoing ban from the international song contest has been hard but the event should stand for “the basic and ultimate values of democracy”.
Russia was banned from competing in the Eurovision song contest in 2022 after its invasion of Ukraine. Russia’s national broadcasters subsequently suspended their memberships of the European Broadcasting Union, which organises the show, preventing them from taking part in future contests.
Speaking to Abba’s Björn Ulvaeus on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, for which the Swedish songwriter was acting as guest editor, Eurovision’s executive supervisor, Martin Österdahl, was asked if the decision to exclude Russia had been hard to make.
He said: “It was, and it still is. How Europe feels very much affects the contest.
“It is also that when you look back in time, you see that the Eurovision song contest is like a logbook of what has happened in Europe, what the trends have been in Europe.
“But, also, what is the kind of mood and sentiment of Europe, and what is the social context of Europe at the time. When we say we are not political, what we always should stand up for are the basic and ultimate values of democracy. Everyone is right to be who they are.”
Am I to conclude from this statement, that EBU believes that racial discrimination and apartheid, constant war crimes israel itself proudly displays on social media, and actions that the ICJ itself deemed to plausibly add up to genocide are the basic and ultimate values of democracy?
Eagerly awaiting you reply,
(my name)
