In the midst of the aftermath of the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest, with the coronation of Switzerland’s Nemo last Saturday, May 11 with his song ‘The Code’, Israel finds itself at the center of the controversy.
The private Israeli channel Keshet 12 has generated a significant stir by broadcasting a sketch that parodies the representatives of Eurovision 2024, especially those critical of Israel’s participation in the contest.
In the video shared on the channel’s social networks to promote its satire program, the actors who play the representatives of Switzerland, Ireland, Greece and the Netherlands mock the gestures and performances of these artists in an exaggerated and derogatory manner. This approach has sparked a strong reaction on social media, where many users have denounced the behavior of Israeli television.
The choice of these countries for the parody has not gone unnoticed, since they are precisely those that have directed the most criticism towards Israel’s participation in the festival. This coincidence has further fueled outrage and fueled calls for the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) to take drastic action.
The comments on social networks reflect the frustration and displeasure of many followers of the festival, who see in the sketch an example of bullying and lack of respect towards the Eurovision representatives. Demands for Israel’s expulsion from the festival have resurfaced strongly, recalling past incidents, such as the elimination of the French representative’s 2023 video clip, La Zarra, due to her criticism of Israeli participation.
Twitter users expressed a mix of frustration and disappointment at the Israeli sketch, with comments such as: “If it were funny…, but on top of that it’s ridiculing for the sake of ridiculing.” Additionally, some pointed out the perceived impunity in the situation, commenting: “The worst thing? That absolutely nothing is going to happen. “They can do this (or much worse) and they will continue to be the right eye of the EBU.”
Other users emphasized the negative impact of Israel’s behavior on the perception of the festival, with one user writing: “This really helps us believe that you weren’t making life miserable for the rest of the countries for two weeks. “Fucking clowns.” In addition, there were those who strongly condemned the action, calling Israel “textbook bullies” and questioning why the EBU would allow such behavior: “Dear EBU, you are not going to allow the limits of respect to be crossed, are you?”