I know that they did - same as last year - massive state funded information campaigns online just to gain votes for themselves. Regardless of song or anything, this is a state actively using eurovision for their political goals, which is not allowed.
Sadly as I’m going to sleep I can only provide you a source that I have saved, which is in Finnish: https://yle.fi/a/74-20162154 (finnish national broadcasting company)
I hope someone chimes in with english source while I sleep.
I just know from personal experience (also in Finland) that the advertising on Youtube has been significant. I don’t remember ever seeing an ad for a ESC song, right there among the phone/service provider, furniture store, food and whatever ads. This time it was all the time, and always just Israel. It was jarringly propaganda. My friend who was over for the watch party commented that she kept getting “an ad for some song” too, and recognized the performer, and she isn’t even an Eurovision fan.
Edit: Also think I’ll be joining the boycott next year. Maybe take a look at the semifinal songs, but this “is this the year the country doing a genocide manages to pay themselves to victory, or which of these contestants might stop it” takes all the fun out of it.
Edit2: Also much congratulations to JJ! It was certainly of the most memorable shows and countertenors are amazing. (Though “opera pop” isn’t my genre, and sounded like he still has a ways to go to make it sound effortless.)
I think nobody has ever cared enough to do it. Plus they pay so much money to the organizers, that no action will every be taken against them.
However Isreal went on after that to claim that because they got so many “audience votes” from all of Europe, that Europe supports their genocide of Palestinians.
I know that they did - same as last year - massive state funded information campaigns online just to gain votes for themselves. Regardless of song or anything, this is a state actively using eurovision for their political goals, which is not allowed.
Sadly as I’m going to sleep I can only provide you a source that I have saved, which is in Finnish: https://yle.fi/a/74-20162154 (finnish national broadcasting company)
I hope someone chimes in with english source while I sleep.
I just know from personal experience (also in Finland) that the advertising on Youtube has been significant. I don’t remember ever seeing an ad for a ESC song, right there among the phone/service provider, furniture store, food and whatever ads. This time it was all the time, and always just Israel. It was jarringly propaganda. My friend who was over for the watch party commented that she kept getting “an ad for some song” too, and recognized the performer, and she isn’t even an Eurovision fan.
Edit: Also think I’ll be joining the boycott next year. Maybe take a look at the semifinal songs, but this “is this the year the country doing a genocide manages to pay themselves to victory, or which of these contestants might stop it” takes all the fun out of it.
Edit2: Also much congratulations to JJ! It was certainly of the most memorable shows and countertenors are amazing. (Though “opera pop” isn’t my genre, and sounded like he still has a ways to go to make it sound effortless.)
There seem to be very few trustable sources in English. The only thing I found with any worth was this Reddit thread.
I translated that page automatically. Thank you for the credible link.
Wow, is that allowed, or common? It doesn’t feel acceptable. I’d not heard of it in this case or in general before.
I think nobody has ever cared enough to do it. Plus they pay so much money to the organizers, that no action will every be taken against them.
However Isreal went on after that to claim that because they got so many “audience votes” from all of Europe, that Europe supports their genocide of Palestinians.
That makes sense.
Gross.
With the multitude of Palestine flags in attendance and the booing, it should be clear that public opinion is more mixed than for any other artist.