Americans who find themselves in Israel in May discover with a sense of surprise that there exists a major international competition that is important to much of the world…and has nothing to do with soccer….but Americans barely know it. The Eurovision song contest was combining in-house judging and popular reaction to musical performances decades before “Idol” came along. But unlike other nations, in order for it to do battle within the parameters of an international contest, Israel must also fight the forces of “BDS” – the Palestinian-initiated effort to isolate the Jewish state by not participating in cultural, academic, sporting or professional events. Israelis often debate the effectiveness of the BDS organization’s efforts to recruit support, some arguing that the effort it takes to counter those efforts is, in itself, a victory for Israel’s detractors. So, it was within that context that Israel offered a contestant with a serious chance to win. Netta Barzilai, a 25-year old who electrified the Lisbon audience (the venue is the home turf of the previous year’s winner), did her part in the area while others tackled the popular vote – knowing that the BDSers were lighting up social media with exhortations to vote against the Israeli act. Barzilai’s lyrics included a reference to “Wonder Woman” – thus unleashing the Jewish state’s secret weapon. Gal Gadot, the Israeli actress who portrayed the character in the blockbuster film recruited her own social media following of 19 million to support the home team, and apparently, they came through. Netta’s unabashed display of affection for her country was celebrated back home in a reminder of the gift she will present to her country: next year’s hosting of the contest, worth millions of dollars to the nation’s economy. Barzilai ended her tv appearance with the traditional greeting: “Next Year in Jerusalem!”
See Maya Margit’s article posted last week at: https://themedialine.org/lifestyle/israels-eurovision-entry-enters-semi-finals-battling-contestants-bds-and-iran/ [1]