The following statement is a joint statement by the ESCXTRA.com Team
Since October 7th, we are witnessing cruelty in Israel and Palestine. We, like many other Eurovision outlets, feel we are in no position to comment on the matter. Our core principle is the coverage of the Eurovision Song Contest and therefore, we refrain from taking a political stance in the conflict which has affected the lives of so many on both sides.
At this point in time, Israel and its public broadcaster KAN are participating members of the Eurovision Song Contest. We therefore feel it is our duty to cover their selection process in an apolitical manner.
However, the recent publication of a promotion video shown by KAN and Keshet 12 makes it impossible for the Eurovision community to cover the event without the political side. At this point, KAN and Keshet 12 have chosen to use Ha Kokhav Haba, a show to promote young talent, as a mechanism to share images of the Israeli Defence Force with the clear objective to justify or promote military action.
The clip, which we, like others, will not share on our platforms, shows the IDF, with both jurors and participants dressed in uniforms. The clip, in the opinion of the ESCXTRA.com Team, is concerning.
ESCXTRA.com wishes to reiterate that the Eurovision Song Contest is an event used and created by nations to come together, to unite in music and join together in peace. Using a selection format to promote military intervention is, in our eyes, something we choose not to cover on our platforms. We condemn the choices made by KAN and Keshet 12 regarding the promotion clip.
Until further notice, ESCXTRA.com will refrain from providing updates on the Israeli selection show for the Eurovision Song Contest. Once an entrant has been chosen, we will post a short, factual article with the song and the artist. We will stand together with our fellow Eurovision Media Outlets, such as Eurovoix.com, in this decision. Our decision will remain in place as long as Israel decides to use the Eurovision Song Contest selection process as a political instrument to promote and justify military actions. We will not be making any further statements on the matter and we invite other Eurovision Media Outlets to do the same.
The entire ESCXTRA.com Team calls on the responsible authorities to end violence and look for peace in the ongoing conflict between Palestine and Israel.
Team ESCXTRA.com
