Musical hypocrisy | Blogotariat

While most people are guilty of some level of hypocrisy, the hypocrisy afoot in today’s world takes some beating. Unfortunately, the worst hypocrites are in power in numerous countries and many, like me, seem relatively impotent in trying to at least highlight this hypocrisy, let alone remedy it.

Back in 2022, Russia was banned from participating in the Eurovision Song Contest. The Executive Board of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) made the decision following a recommendation by the Eurovision Song Contest’s governing body, the Reference Group, based on the rules of the event and the values of the EBU1. The EBU said Russia’s inclusion could bring the competition into disrepute given the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which had happened days before the decision to ban Russia was made2.

Now we have Israel, still being welcomed into Eurovision, despite it perpetrating the horrendous genocide on the Palestinian people of Gaza ever since the October 7, 2023, attacks by Hamas. While the October 7 attacks killed around 1200 Israelis and others, the subsequent constant bombing, starvation, and the destruction of the medical system in Gaza, have killed at least 67,000 people including 20,000 children. This is based on people brought to hospitals or officially recorded, and does not include those missing or still under the rubble, and so may be a gross underestimate3.

The U.N.-backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) said in late August 2025 that famine has been determined in parts of Gaza for the first time. It projected that famine would expand in the region by the end of September 2025 and more than 100,000 children under age 5 were at risk of death from acute malnutrition through to June next year4.

The UN Human Rights Office published an assessment on six emblematic attacks by the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) in Gaza, that led to high numbers of civilian fatalities and widespread destruction of civilian buildings, raising serious concerns under the laws of war with respect to the principles of distinction, proportionality and precautions in attack. The report details these six attacks involving the suspected use of GBU-31 (900kg), GBU-32 (450kg) and GBU-39 (110kg) bombs from 9 October to 2 December 2023 on residential buildings, a school, refugee camps and a market5.

The targeted destruction of Gaza’s healthcare system by the IDF amounts to “medicide,” UN experts have said, accusing Israel of deliberately attacking and starving healthcare workers, paramedics and hospitals to wipe out medical care in Gaza. Tlaleng Mofokeng, Special Rapporteur on the right to health and Francesca Albanese, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967 have said: “As human beings and UN experts, we cannot remain silent about the war crimes committed before our eyes in Gaza”6.

The EU, France and UK have condemned Israel’s finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, after he said on Wednesday: “No one in the world will allow us to starve 2 million people, even though it might be justified and moral in order to free the hostages”7. All living hostages have now been retuned to Israel, and still the bombing and starvation continue8. Smotrich has also shared his vision for the Gaza Strip, predicting that within half a year, the population of the territory would be confined to just a narrow swath of land, with the remainder of the enclave “totally destroyed”9, and that it could be a “real estate bonanza”; he is in talks with the Trump administration about dividing up the territory after the war – an idea previously condemned internationally10.

Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir says Palestinian Authority (PA) officials should be assassinated if progress is made on the recognition of Palestinian statehood. He called top PA officials “terrorists”11.

A few days ago, lawmakers from the far-right Otzma Yehudit party wore noose-shaped lapel pins during a committee meeting on a controversial bill they are pushing to legislate the mandatory death penalty for terrorism conviction12.

How anybody can consider that banning Russia is fine, but banning Israel is a step too far, is beyond me. To say that Russia’s inclusion could have brought the Eurovision competition into disrepute but that Israel’s inclusion won’t, is to deny reality, and is the ultimate hypocrisy. Five countries (Ireland, Spain, Netherlands, Slovenia, and Iceland) have already announced they will boycott Eurovision13. Australia needs to do the same.

There is a petition currently on offer to boycott Eurovision as long as Israel is allowed to participate. You can find a link to it below14. Please sign it.

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