The final of the Eurovision Song Contest will take place in Vienna on Saturday, with organizers hoping the annual show of glitz and Europop will be a success despite the withdrawal of five countries due to Israel’s participation.
The build-up to the event – a kitschy and generally good-natured competition between pop acts from countries across Europe and beyond, now in its 70th year – has been overshadowed by a boycott of the event by the public broadcasters of heavyweights Spain, the Netherlands and Ireland, as well as Iceland and Slovenia.
These countries are protesting Israel’s participation in the aftermath of the country’s military offensive in Gaza.
Ireland’s RTE said participation would be “unconscionable given the terrible loss of life in Gaza and the humanitarian crisis there.”
Israel claims that a global smear campaign has been waged against Israel.
The boycotts have reduced the number of entries in the contest to 35, the smallest since 2003, which will almost certainly reduce the global television audience of an event that was estimated at 166 million people last year, more than the Super Bowl’s roughly 128 million.
There will be 25 countries, including Israel, participating in Saturday’s final.
The mood in the Austrian capital is tense and subdued, with protests throughout the week over Israel’s participation drawing few crowds.
Police are still bracing for protests on Saturday and are anticipating possible “blockades and attempts at disruption.”
—Reuters
