Israeli Eurovision singers are "traitors"
Israeli-Arab singer Mira Awad and Israeli-Jewish singer Achinoam Nini, who has performed with Sting, are under pressure from critics ranging from Right-wing Jews, to Palestinians and even Israeli peace campaigners.
The pair are known for syrupy pop sung in Hebrew and Arabic and have yet to unveil the song they planned to sing at the Eurovision contest.
But now Miss Awad in particular has drawn the wrath of her fellow Israeli-Arabs, who make up one in five of Israel's population.
After hundreds of civilians were killed during the assault against Hamas, Israel's Arabs are angry and Miss Awad is providing a target.
Soon after her nomination as Israel's choice for Eurovision, which happened during the brief war, television footage showed people in the street urging her to stand down.
She has been blasted in internet chat rooms by almost every shade of Israeli society, from Right-wing Jews who do not want her representing the Jewish state to fellow Arabs who accuse her of betraying her people.
A group of prominent artists even sent her an open letter asking her to reconsider.
Juliano Mer Khamis, one of the signatories and an actor whose parentage is mixed Jewish and Arab, said: "We think Mira Awad has been used cynically by Israeli propaganda. They are going to use her as a fig leaf."
The artists claim that the Israeli authorities want to use Miss Awad's pop talents to cover up the discrimination that they say the Arab population suffers.
Miss Awad gave her version of solving the Middle East's political problems during a television interview last week. "I'm for life," she said. "I want to live here and I want everyone to live here together. To live, not to die. I am sure there is a solution if everyone would just be honest."
Her manager said she still hoped to compete at Eurovision, adding that the two singers were "for dialogue and co-operation."
They have however cancelled a charity event for Gaza at a Tel Aviv nightclub, after Miss Nini came under fire from Left-wing peace campaigners when she criticised Hamas.
The debate has exposed the uneasy position of Israel's Arabs, those Palestinians and their descendants who remained after 1948.
They are Israeli citizens but they are not required to serve in the army. Some become political radicals and all are viewed with suspicion by many Israeli Jews.
Eurovision may seem like an unlikely arena for such existential arguments but it has a large following in the nation. Parties are thrown to watch the contest on television.
Telegraph
I though it was only sports that was targetted by extremist. Now Singers as well. Desperate people.
Not so Good News for the Irish..hmmmm
it: UK achieved the best result since 2002 and also break a curse as no big four country has been in the top ten since 2004!Well done, Jade!
Copyright © 2009 The Press Association.
-----It wasn't quite her time, but Jade Ewen did her country proud when she earned the UK fifth place in the
54th Eurovision Song Contest 2009, which was the UK's best showing in the competition for seven years and a major improvement on last year's last place.
The 21-year-old Londoner's song was co-written by musical giant Andrew Lloyd Webber but came far behind the winning entry from Norway, which received the contest's highest yet total of 387 points.
Last year's UK hopeful Andy Abraham finished joint bottom, raising questions about whether there was any point in the UK bothering to enter the competition if political voting took precedence.--
Congratulations for your Eurovision 2009 team: the Singer Jade Ewen (will represent Britain in the Eurovision Song Contest after winning a televised contest) and the composer- internationally renown- Andrew L. Webber. Jade is a great presence, a great voice! IMHO
For sure they will improve the monotony of the song with some supporting vocals and so she will win!!!
True, UkEng, related to subject, found a resume on telegraph.co.uk/31 Jan.2009:
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Britain has a dismal track record in the Eurovision Song Contest in recent years and has not won the competition since 1997 when Katrina and the Waves won with "Love Shine a Light".
Widespread block voting between Eastern European countries has increasingly dominated the competition, with Russia voted as last year's winner.
Russia's entry, "Believe" sung by Dima Bilan, who performed during last night's show, received a maximum of 12 points last year from six nearby countries - Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Belarus and Armenia.
The success of Serbia in 2007 was also largely thanks to generous scoring for its neighbours, including Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Macedonia. Lordi, a heavy metal band dressed as monsters, from Finland, won in 2006 after receiving the maximum score of 12 points from Iceland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Estonia.
Last year's UK entrant, Andy Abraham, came joint last after scoring "nul points" for his song "Even If "at the final in Belgrade. In 2007, Scooch finished second last with "Flying the Flag (for You)" and in 2003 the band Jemini failed to score a single point for their song, "Cry Baby".
This year, however, the voting system has been changed for the final in Moscow. Each country's votes will be decided by a combination of televoting and the votes of a national jury comprised of music industry experts.---
We'd still get NO POINTS;
Eurovision in the past years has not only been about a good singer, but also which country supports you, thats why all the former Soviet countries do well as they only vote for each other..
I think it is about time that UK send four contestants instead of one represent all four nations of the UK
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HE WHO DARES WINS
They are in Euro everything 'cos the Arab nations would refuse to take part if they had to play/sing against them!
Did you Google it first?
sigh..even a singing contest is politicized. ms. awad should be supported by all in israel because she is arab of israeli citizenship, a symbol of a secular israel. ain't she a good symbol for peace?
Good luck to them..Hope they do well.. Look at the bright side atleast she is promote peace by teaming up with fellow citizen.
Please remember she is a citizen of Israel not any Arab country..
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HE WHO DARES WINS
Since when did Israel become a part of Europe? Yes, that crap is still on and what the hell is it for?
I just don't get why they are in it at all... Same with the euro cup.
Makes no sense
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Is Miss Mira leading the boycott too? It would not surprise me. Sorry for the sarcasm.
Eurovision - is that crap still going? Not been the same since ABBA and Bucks Fizz :o)
Did you Google it first?