The organisers of the Eurovision Song Contest have been criticised thanks to a statement issued regarding Eric Saade's performance on Tuesday night.
The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) have been accused of being "morally corrupt" and "hypocritical" thanks to the board expressing "regret" over Saade apparently comprising the alleged "non-political nature" of Eurovision.
Former Swedish Eurovision contestant Saade took to the stage in Sweden to open the competition's semi-final, with the singer displaying a keffiyeh print scarf wrapped around his left wrist as he performed his 2011 entry Popular.
The keffiyeh is associated with Palestinian people and often worn as an act of solidarity by those who support the country amid Israel's war on Gaza and its surrounding areas but is not an official political motif or symbol.
Ahead of the event at Malmo Arena, those attending were warned not to bring Palestinian flags, symbols or bags and were told that there will be "vigorous security checks". Palestine are not competing in this year's competition but Israel - located in the Middle East - are - something that has caused controversy over recent months.
Following Saade's performance and choice of attire, a spokesperson for the EBU said: “The Eurovision Song Contest is a live TV show. All performers are made aware of the rules of the contest, and we regret that Eric Saade chose to compromise the non-political nature of the event."
Writing on his Instagram Stories after his performance, Saade told his followers: "Reminder: It's only love. United by music it is. [love heart emoji.]." The official slogan for this year's Eurovision Song Contest is "United By Music". Saade has been flooded with support online in the wake of the EBU's statement condemning his keffiyeh print scarf.
"Eric gave a statement to Swedish news that I thought was really well said so I have translated it to the best of my ability," one Twitter (X) wrote on the microblogging site on Wednesday, sharing a screenshot of Saade's alleged comments in both Swedish and their translation into English.
The Twitter user's translation reads: "I got this scarf from my father as a little boy, to never forget where our family is from. Back then I didn't know that it would one day be called a 'political symbol. It's like calling "Dalahästen" (a traditional Swedish horse statue) a political symbol. In my eyes it's only racism. I just wanted to be including and wear something that felt real to me - but the EBU seem to think that my ethnicity is controversial. It says nothing about me, but everything about them. I say like this year's ESC-slogan: United by music."
The EBU's statement prompted a strong backlash online from those supporting the BDS boycott of the Eurovision Song Contest. "Eurovision is about being 'United by Music' and sharing cultures from all around the world, except if you are Palestinian apparently," one wrote on Twitter.
"Palestinian flags have been banned but 8 months into a genocide, Israel is competing. If you’re still watching Eurovision, you are revealing much about yourself and none of it good #BoycottEurovision," another added, with a third declaring: "When you’ve seen nothing but brutally murdered children all over the Timeline for the last 24 hours, but the big News story is that a performer dared to wear a keffiyeh bracelet on the Eurovision stage."
Israel being on the list of countries for Eurovision 2024 has caused controversy over recent months, following Israel's relentless attacks on Palestine. Lots of long-time fans of the music contest have been asking why Israel hasn't been kicked out of the competition like Russia was in 2022, after Russian leader Vladimir Putin invaded neighbouring country Ukraine.
Since Hamas attacked Israel on 7th October and took hostages, more than 35,000 Palestinians have been injured, meaning that over 100,000 people have now been killed or injured in the six months of Israel's offensive. At least a further 7000 are estimated to lie dead beneath the rubble.
Even though Israel isn't in Europe, it's been allowed to take part because the Israel Broadcasting Authority (IBA) is a member of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU). Israel, located in the Middle East, first took part in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1973 and has won twice since then.
UK entry Olly Alexander - who signed a letter calling Israel an "apartheid regime" prior to being unveiled as the UK entry in December - has been heavily criticised by many fans and activists for not withdrawing from this year's Eurovision Song Contest and listening to the Palestinian call to follow the BDS boycott.
In October, Alexander showed solidarity with the people of Palestine and called for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, the militant group that controls Gaza. The letter from LGBT charity Voices4London described Israel as an 'apartheid regime' which is trying to "ethnically cleanse" Palestine.
Speaking in BBC's documentary titled Olly Alexander's Road To Eurovision '24, Alexander tearfully addressed the backlash and explained his reasons for rejecting the calls for him to boycott. "A lot of the contestants and myself have been having a lot of comments that are like 'You are complicit in a genocide by taking part in Eurovision' which is quite extreme. It's very extreme," the It's A Sin actor said, visibly emotional. "I understand where that sentiment is coming from but I think it's not correct."
He continued: "It's an incredibly complicated political situation, one that I'm not qualified to speak on. The backdrop to this is actual immense suffering. It's a humanitarian crisis, a war. It just so happens there's a song contest going on at the same time that I'm a part of."
In response to Alexander's teary interview, Queers For Palestine - an activist group - issued a statement telling the singer to "consider his place in history" and that it's "not too late to do the right thing. The statement read: "We share @ollyalexanderr ‘s upset. The European Broadcasting Union has failed him and other contestants by refusing to ban genocidal Israel.
"But by insisting that he knows better than Palestinians Olly Alexander again flaunts a colonial mentality. We reiterate our call on Olly Alexander to boycott Eurovision. Doing no harm to the Palestinian freedom struggle by refusing to be complicit in artwashing genocide is a profound ethical duty. Olly, it’s not too late to do the right thing. This moment could define the rest of your life. Consider your place in history."
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