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Eurovision song contest in Malmo: Israel’s National Security Council upgrades travel warning for the Swedish city
Malmo, which has a high concentration of Syrian, Lebanese, Iraqi and Iranian migrants, is known as a focus for anti-Israel protests, which occur on a weekly basis and frequently include incitement, calls to attack Jews and Israelis and the burning of Israeli flags.
By EJP and JNS
The 2024 Eurovision Song Contestwill be held in the Swedish city of Malmo on 7-11 May.
In light of this event, the National Security Council (NSC) is upgrading the travel warning for Malmo (but not the travel warning for Sweden as a whole) from Level 2 (potential threat) to Level 3 (moderate threat) and recommends that Israelis due to arrive in the city reconsider the necessity of the trip.
The travel warning is for the period of the Eurovision and is subject to an assessment of the situation.
Malmo, which has a high concentration of Syrian, Lebanese, Iraqi and Iranian migrants, is known as a focus for anti-Israel protests, which occur on a weekly basis and frequently include incitement, calls to attack Jews and Israelis and the burning of Israeli flags.
It should be noted that on October 7, anti-Israel elements were openly joyful over the massacre that Hamas perpetrated in Israel.
In addition to the protests in Malmo, in recent months there has been an upsurge in calls by global jihadist and radical Islamic elements to carry out attacks against Western targets, including focused threats against Israelis and Jews around the world, while emphasizing targets with a high media profile. It should be noted on 19 March, the arrest of ISIS operatives who were planning to carry out an attack on the Swedish parliament.
These developments raise the tangible concern that terrorists will exploit the protest and the anti-Israel atmosphere to carry out an attack on Israelis who will arrive for the Eurovision, the NSC said.
While the Swedish authorities have increased security in Malmo, it should be noted that unlike the Israeli delegation to the contest, Israeli visitors will not receive special security.
Visitors to Malmo are requested to download the IDF Home Front Command app in order to receive NSC updates quickly and in real-time in the event of an incident in Malmo during the Eurovision.
Israeli contestant Eden Golan prepares for the compeition
Meanwhile, Israeli Eurovision contestant Eden Golan landed in Malmo on Tuesday to prepare for the competition.
“I feel like the main message is that we are here, we are strong, we will show our voices, the warmth, the strength and the emotion that we have inside us,” Golan told JNS.
“There are truly so many people who support us, people who like the song, are there for us and love us. We are a huge family and we want to spread good, love and unity,” she added.
The Eurovision Song Contest is an internationally televised songwriting competition comprising three live shows: two semi-finals and a grand final.
All songs must be original and no more than three minutes in length. Lead vocals must be performed live, and no more than six performers can take to the stage during any one performance.
In each show, after all songs have been performed, each country participating awards two sets of points (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10 and 12) to their favorite songs; one set is awarded by a jury of five music industry professionals and one is awarded by viewers.
The five countries in each semi-final with the most points advance to the grand final.
Last year, Israeli pop star Noa Kirel finished in third place in the Eurovision final in Liverpool, behind Sweden and Finland. She was aiming to become the fifth Israeli to win the song contest since the Jewish state first entered the annual event in 1973 and the first since Netta Barzilai and her song “Toy” won in 2018.
Past winners include Izhar Cohen and Alphabeta in 1978, with the song “A-Ba-Ni-Bi,” Milk and Honey in 1979 with “Hallelujah” and Dana International in 1998 with “Diva.”
This year, Eden Golan, 20, will represent the Jewish state in the second semifinal on May 9. The grand final will take place on May 11.
The coming days will be busy ones for Golan.
“Each day revolves around Eurovision, from rehearsals and vocal lessons to interviews, photoshoots and fittings to prepare the wonderful outfits that I will be wearing on stage,” she said.
“I am concentrating on our goal: to give a great performance, and I am constantly working towards it,” she added.
Organizers of the Eurovision Song Contest reaffirmed in February that Israel would be allowed to compete despite calls to exclude it from the competition.
“Of course, there were thoughts and uncertainties at certain points. I don’t think I really let it get to me. I was very focused, I truly wanted to believe that we would be there on stage, I visualized it, I just saw myself performing on stage,” said Golan.
“Good thoughts, good vibes, good energy; here we are now,” she added.
Rejecting parallels drawn by pro-Palestinian activists with Russia’s exclusion from the competition over its invasion of Ukraine, Noel Curran, director-general of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), said that “comparisons between war and conflict are complex and difficult and, as an apolitical media organization, it is not our place to make them.”
In March, Israel’s Kan public broadcaster revealed the Jewish state’s final entry for this year’s contest, after the EBU had threatened to disqualify two earlier entries over perceived political messaging. A week earlier, the EBU informed Israel that Golan would be allowed to compete with “Hurricane.”
“When we finally got the news that everything was sorted out, it was amazing, it felt like a weight was lifted off my shoulders,” said Golan.
“It was exciting, heartwarming and uplifting because I really think that this year more than ever it’s important for us to be there on stage and show our voice,” she added.
The last lines of “October Rain,” one of Israel’s earlier entries, described the condition of Israelis during the Oct. 7 terror attacks, in which 1,200 people were slaughtered: “There’s no air left to breathe / No place, no me from day to day.”
In one of the verses, Golan sang the word “flowers,” which is Israel Defense Forces slang for fallen soldiers, but which does not carry that connotation for European viewers.
Israel’s second-choice song, “Dance Forever,” was an apparent reference to the massacre at the Supernova music festival near Kibbutz Re’im, where Hamas terrorists murdered 364 people on Oct. 7.
Kan has said that the final submission, set to the tune of “October Rain,” tells the story of a “young woman who is surviving a personal crisis.”
“Honestly, when the news got out to me that they did not want to approve the song, I was shocked, to say the least,” said Golan. “Now that it’s done, I’m not looking back. I know that we have a great song that will represent us proudly and that’s all that matters,” she continued.
“I am very happy with the final product. I think we have a great, powerful and emotional song that conveys so many feelings, in which every single person can find themselves and connect to it in some way or another,” Golan added.
She told JNS she is well aware of the worldwide surge of antisemitism.
In March, a London movie theater threatened to cancel the screening of the Eurovision Grand Final if Israel remains in the competition, according to Deadline.
The Rio Cinema in East London, known for its ties with Eurovision Party London, declared the decision via social media, and added that it will continue to support Palestinian charities.
“I am not naive. I know what is going on in the world. It’s not something we can really hide from,” said Golan.
“I wouldn’t say I’m scared, because I will be taken care of and the whole delegation is going to be taken care of as well. Once again I am very focused on our main goal: to give a great performance. We can’t run away from reality, sadly, but we can focus on the good,” she added.
Link: https://ejpress.org/eurovision-song-contest-in-malmo-israels-national-security-council-upgrades-travel-warning-for-the-swedish-city-mo-sweden/
- May 3, 2024
Belgian university maintains collaboration with Israeli institutions despite protests demanding to cut ties
MOLDOVA AND JEWS – SURVEY SHOWS COUNTRY HAS DEEP-ROOTED ANTISEMITISM PROBLEM
In first detailed country study for Moldova, 36% of respondents feel Jews use dishonest means to achieve aims, 19% have a negative perception of Jewish people and around 14% “really don’t like them” Other concerning findings: 32% say Jews exploit non-Jews and 36% Jews seek to gain advantage from the Holocaust and 37% said that Jews talk too much about it.
(Brussels 5 March 2024) The Brussels-based European Jewish Association (EJA), representing hundreds of Jewish Communities across the continent, and Budapest-based Action and Protection League today published a comprehensive report on antisemitic attitudes in the Republic of Moldova, as part of shared efforts to get an accurate continent-wide picture of current attitudes towards Jews.
The land-locked country of 2.5 million citizens has a small Jewish population of around 1,900, equating to 0.7% of all citizens, which, says EJA Chairman Rabbi Menachem Margolin, shows an irrational and alarmingly high prevalence of antisemitic attitudes.
The survey, conducted between October 20th and November 14th, 2023, gathered 923 valid responses from the adult population of Moldova. The study utilized a stratified, probabilistic sampling method to ensure the sample’s representativeness.
The Moldovan government has taken some actions in combatting antisemitism such as adopting the IHRA definition and changing the penal code to include the promotion of fascist, racist or xenophobic ideologies, public denial of the Holocaust, glorification of exponents of fascism/Nazism and the use in public or for political purposes of fascist, racist or xenophobic symbols.
Speaking as the survey was published, Rabbi Menachem Margolin, Chairman of the European Jewish Association said today: “The Moldova survey on antisemitism is part of our ongoing efforts to properly map the situation affecting Jews across the continent. “It is sadly clear that – despite some government efforts – deep-rooted antisemitism persists in Moldova. There can be no rational explanation as to why a community that represents such a tiny fraction of the overall population bears the brunt of such an alarmingly high number of stereotypes and tropes.
“It will take much more than the adoption of the IHRA definition and changes to the legal code to make an impact on the antisemitic attitudes present in the Country. Change in the classroom is as a matter of urgency, if not the next generation will perpetuate and carry the virus of antisemitism with them. The Moldovan government has a tough road ahead in eradicating these old antisemitic attitudes that have no place in any modern country, especially one that seeks to join the European Union.” Ends
- March 5, 2024
Council of European Jewish Leaders Meet in Rome Amid Antisemitism Crisis. European governments are not standing behind their commitments to Jewish communities, say council heads.
COUNCIL OF EUROPEAN JEWISH LEADERS MEET IN ROME AMID ANTISEMITISM CRISIS
EUROPEAN GOVERNMENTS ARE NOT STANDING BEHIND THEIR COMMITMENTS TO JEWISH COMMUNITIES SAY COUNCIL HEADS
“The test is now” says EJA Chairman Rabbi Menachem Margolin “and European governments are failing it so far.”
(Rome, 27 February 2024) The European Jewish Association’s Council of Jewish Leaders is meeting in Rome to discuss the challenges faced by European Jewish Communities.
Despite commitments to safeguard jewish communities and promises to root out antisemtism, too many governments across Europe have done neither, concluded the 40 Jewish heads from across Europe present at the EJA’s Council of Jewish Leaders meeting.
There is a political and policing failure to act upon anti-hate and anti-BDS legislation already in place, and despite many countries signing up to the IHRA definition, barely any are adhering to its principles.
“The laws and definition are not worth the paper they are printed on right now”, said one Dutch Jewish Community Leader, citing the number of protests advocating genocide and ethnic cleaning of Jews in Israel, and often worldwide by using Nazi tropes and iconography.
Based in Brussels and representing hundreds of Jewish communities across Europe, the European Jewish Association’s Council meeting is a key decision making body of the EJA, bringing Jewish Leaders together, to exchange insights and develop the strategic and advocacy backbone of EJA activities and policy for the betterment of Jewish life in Europe in 2024.
The Jewish leaders agreed upon an 18 point plan of action for 2024, including increasing Community safety, securing a ban on the sale of Nazi memorabilia and engaging major sports clubs and institutions in fighting antisemitism.
The Council was adressed by Israel’s Special Envoy for Combatting antisemitism, Israel’s Ambassador to Italy, Alon Bar, Italy’s special envoy for combatting antisemitism Pasquale Angelosanto, and the President of the Italian Senate, Ignazio La Russa.
Joel Mergui, the President of the EJA’s Council of European Jewish Leaders and the Paris Consistoire, said at the close of the Conference.
“The Jewish leaders are clear, we refuse to live in fear, we are strong and we will overcome this current tide of hate. It is unnacceptable that calls for genocide and ethnic cleansing as typified by “From the river to the Sea”, and calls for “infidada” are now commonplace, along with nazi symbols and outright antisemitic imagery in regular use.
This is a major cause of antisemitism, and authorities across the continent must do more to stick to their commitments that they have repeatedly given to protect Jews and fight antisemitism.”
The Chairman of the European Jewish Association, Rabbi Menachem Margolin, said.
“As Jewish leaders, it is our duty to protect our communities. The message from community leaders on the Council is clear: the EU and governments must translate their nice words on ensuring the safety of Jewish communities into meaningful actions.
“The test of any government commitments in standing up for European jewry is right now. Our council is clear, based on the evidence so far, european governments are failing this test. ”
Ends.
Gallery: https://ejassociation.eu/eja/the-council-of-jewish-leaders-in-rome/
- February 29, 2024
EU Court's Shocking Ruling Threatens Freedom of Religion for Jews and Muslims
The European Jewish Association (EJA) learned with deep shock about the ruling of the EU Court of Human Rights against the human rights, freedom of religion and worship of Jews and Muslims. “The implied determination of the distorted verdict is that the rights of these citizens to freedom of religion and worship are even less than that of animals.” Says EJA Chairman Rabbi Menachem Margolin and warned that the severe restrictions on Jews to live according to their faith will lead to serious damage to the fabric of life throughout the continent. The European Jewish Association calls on the Belgian Government and all other governments and Parliaments throughout the continent to immediately take all the necessary steps in order to change the ruling that discriminates against Jews and Muslims.
In a letter sent to European Heads of States, EJA’s European Leader’s Forum for Combatting Antisemitism headed by The 10th President of the State of Israel, Reuven Rivlin, and including former prominent European Heads of States: Sebastian Kurz, Manuel Valls, Matteo Renzi, Petar Stoyanov, Andrej Babiš, Prokopios Pavlopoulos, Borut Pahor, Milo Đukanović and Stefan Lofven, is calling on governments and parliaments to enact the laws that commit to maintaining the freedom of religion and worship of the continent’s citizens, including kosher and Halal slaughter.
- February 13, 2024
Press Release: European Jewish Association head calls on European Parliament president to suspend chair for relations with palestine for ‘blatant’ antisemitism.
MEP Manu Pineda, chair for relations with Palestine, shares Instagram post of Hitler poster with never again written on it being torn to reveal Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu giving Nazi salute under the headline ‘again’, a clear breach of the IHRA definition of antisemitism, of which the EU Institutions are a signatory.
(Brussels 3 January 2024) The Chairman of the European Jewish Association, Rabbi Menachem Margolin today wrote to European Parliament President Roberta Metsola calling for, at a minimum, the suspension from the European Parliament of the Chair for relations with Palestine, Spanish MEP Manu Pineda.
Mr Pineda shared an Instagram story video showing a poster of Adolf Hitler giving a Nazi salute under a banner that reads ‘never again’. A hooded man then rips off part the poster to reveal Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu whose face and Israeli flag replace Hitler’s and the swastika, and leaving the word ‘again’ visible.
In his letter to President Metsola calling for the suspension from the House, Rabbi Margolin wrote,
“Regretfully, only 3 days into this new year, I must write to you concerning a blatant act of antisemitism committed by a Member of your house. I understand that in a war, feelings can run high. But this can never be an excuse to allow carte blanche to any hate speech, antisemitism included.
“In November 2022, I had the privilege of handing over our King David Award to you in Krakow, the next day we toured Auschwitz together. You are a leader who understands what is at stake, and the dark path that antisemitism can lead us to. I remember your inspiring words well. You said we should honour the legacy of the victims of the Shoah “by never forgetting, by never being indifferent, and by always, always speaking up”.
“Madame President, it is time to speak up. People look up to their public representatives, Mr Pineda included. The public often follow their lead.
“There is no doubt, none, that this video that he chose to share is antisemitic and breaches the IHRA definition of which the EU is a signatory. No words can be parsed here. The question is what will be done?
“In such a febrile time, with rates of antisemitism in Europe at levels unseen since WW2, doing nothing is not an option and only emboldens others to do the same.
“Mr Pineda has shown, in public, his antisemitism. You must show him that antisemitism is not welcome in the European Parliament. A suspension from the house would be the minimum we would expect.” Ends.
- January 3, 2024
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It’s a challenging time for Jewish communities in Europe. Anti-Semitism is on the rise as populism and the politics of the lowest common denominator are gaining traction. Our communities often need round the clock protection and our practices and customs such as keeping Kosher are under pressure from increasing political interference.
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