The absence of the Palestinian flag at the opening event for Eurovision is a breath of fresh air to anyone (especially Israelis in attendance) who supports peace and the arts remaining free from politics, especially vicious Islamic politics. Far too many in the West also need to be reminded that there is no such thing as a “State of Palestine,” except in the view of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. The Palestinian National Charter states as a mandate that Israel must be obliterated. That is the core of the so-called “resistance” movement (from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea). It has nothing to do with two states actually living side by side in peace, or with justice in the face of oppression. It has everything to do with annihilating the state of Israel.
A Palestinian flag has no place in Eurovision, but Eurovision went too far in previous years in the appeasement of Muslims and the persecution of Israeli performers. So what can the organization expect now but a frenzied reaction to the absence of the Palestinian flag? And the leftist media is already on the attack. A New York Times headline: “How Israel Turned Eurovision’s Stage Into a Soft Power Tool.” And Forbes: Eurovision 2026: How Israel Became Eurovision’s Biggest Controversy. The controversy thus duly begins:
Q On the eve of the 70th Eurovision Song Contest, the world’s biggest music competition is facing what several media outlets have described as the worst crisis in its history. Five countries have withdrawn from the 2026 contest in Vienna. Past winners have returned their trophies. A New York Times investigation published yesterday found evidence of a state-level influence operation running through the competition for years. Here’s how we got here.
And then the article proceeds to make Israel out to be a manipulator. As Western countries and organizations come to their senses about Islam and about the Palestinian “resistance” from the River to the Sea, expect upheaval. Throughout the history of Islam, manipulation, aggressive bullying and violence have been characteristic of its spread; the Palestinian cause speaks for itself for anyone who has been genuinely paying attention. Those who have not been paying attention should read the Palestinian National Charter HERE.
“Vibe Shift: Pro-Hamas Mobs, Palestinian Flags Absent from Eurovision Opening Event for First Time in 2 Years,” by Frances Martel, Breitbart, May 11, 2026:
Israeli singer Noam Bettan and his entourage received a warm welcome in Vienna, Austria, during the opening event for this week’s Eurovision Song Contest on Sunday — a radical departure from the throngs of pro-Hamas protesters wearing keffiyehs and threatening Israeli contestants that had become the norm in the past two years.
The Eurovision Song Contest is an annual continental event — also including some non-European countries such as Georgia and Australia — in which countries send an original song performed by an artist of their choice. This year will mark the 70th anniversary of the competition, which was conceived in part as a way of uniting the continent and preventing more conflict following the resolution of World War II.
This year, 35 countries have sent representatives to Eurovision, including, as usual, Israel. Israel has been part of the Eurovision contest since 1973 and has won four times, most recently in 2018. Decades of participation aside, however, anti-Israel and generally leftist movements have targeted Eurovision with an aggressive boycott campaign demanding Israel’s ouster from the contest since the massacre of over 1,200 people in Israel by the jihadist terrorist organization Hamas on October 7, 2023. The two editions following the Hamas invasion — 2024 in Malmö, Sweden, and 2025 in Basel, Switzerland — were marked by massive anti-Israel protests and fellow contestants within the competition, at best, keeping a distance from the Israeli performer and, at worst, behaving actively hostile towards them. Artists who were accidentally caught being friendly to Israelis demanded the footage be deleted and denounced the country’s presence at the show.
The shift in tone at this year’s edition — held in Vienna following Austria’s victory last year — was notable at the “Turquoise Carpet,” the first major event during Eurovision week in which artists walk the titular carpet to greet fans, often wearing extravagant outfits and performing parts of their songs. Noam Bettan and his team walked the carpet and were not received by throngs of Palestinian flags or threats. While some individuals were seen displaying a “thumbs down” gesture at the Israeli team, they appeared to do so without disturbing the event, and were outnumbered by fans reaching out to shake Bettan’s hand. The contestants appeared on the turquoise carpet by alphabetical order of the nations they represent; Bettan appeared about an hour into the broadcast, walking out to the tune of “Hava Nagila.”….
࿗Infidel࿘ says
Neither “Palestine” nor Israel are European entities. Given the hostility of Europe towards Israel, the latter shouldn’t participate there either. Israel is very much as Asian country: the Hebrews originated in Ur, and migrated to Canaan – both in Asia. That’s what counts
If their muslim neighbors don’t like them, that’s immaterial. Other Asian countries from India on eastwards have no problems w/ Israel, and would happily engage w/ them both economically and culturally
Beans🫘 says
You should understand, I’m not a big Israel person, but Israel used to be in the old AFC football federation of Asia. It just don’t work… can u imagine Israel in a random group like Saudi Arabia, North Korea, Uzbekistan and Japan? That’s why Israel is in UEFA.
Same principle applies to Eurovision . It’s probably better for everybody. The Muslims , the Israelis and Europeans , Israel is a part of the west anyway.
࿗Infidel࿘ says
The Arabs don’t belong in Asia alone: they are trans-continental – West Asia and North Africa. Central Asia is not hostile to Israel, and neither is rest of Asia – Russia (not counting the Putin regime), India, Vietnam, Japan, and I daresay even China. Iran’s regime is about to collapse and those people are pretty pro-Israel. Only ones who hate Israel are the Arabs and Turkey, and they don’t belong w/ Asia either
Israel is a part of the West, but it’s about as “European” as the US is
Beans🫘 says
It is dangerous for an Israeli sports team to play a game away in these random groups. You will draw a team like Iraq, Palestine or something. Also Turkey is also in UEFA, not AFC. That also should technically change, I hate them.
India? Are you kidding. India historically has hated Israel, and still it has many people who hate it today who would cause a scene, possibly violence. You have sharia law where Muslims can steal land at will. Radicalized people.
࿗Infidel࿘ says
India’s first 2 prime ministers – Nehru & Indira – hated Israel: that was it! Otherwise, most Hindus have no issues w/ Israel. Only ones who do are the communists, but that’s true worldwide, including Israel itself. Today, India is one of the world’s most pro-Israel country in terms of percentage of population: they are probably in the top 10
Yeah, diplomatically, India is pretty horrible in going w/ much of the world in opposing Israel at the UN, but that’s by no means the popular sentiment in that country
Bean🫘 says
I didn’t get that impression from the Hindus I’ve met.
I went to a party few years ago, a group of Hindu Indians came along, they knew a lot about world affairs, but they were all anti Israel. They were educated professionals, and one was courting this Hindu girl, but it didn’t work out I remember. He was a Brahmin actually, I don’t know if that means something to the case. We are beef with the Brahmin.
Patton says
A substantial portion of the Israeli population has its roots in Europe. Many Israelis are actually recent and agrees from European countries, including Russia and former Soviet Block countries. Where the ancient Israelites came from, in terms of contemporary cultures immaterial. If you’ve ever spent any time in that part of the world, you would know that life in Israel looks a whole lot more like life in a sophisticated, cosmopolitan, democratic western European democracy. Or at least what most of them used to look like an emerging societies like paul and do now. Israel has been sending participants to the Eurovision Festival for just about the entirety of its existence and they’ve done very well. There is no such thing on the other hand, as Palestine. It’s a nonexistent country for a multitude of reasons that don’t bear repeating here. Plenty of folks on this website have written knowledgeably and comprehensively about that. Israelis aren’t Asians and your statement implies that you have some sort of an issue with Israel, being a vital, participant in the western world. Fortunately, your inclinations in that regard domine shit.
࿗Infidel࿘ says
I don’t have any issue w/ Israel being a vital participant in the Western world. I only have an issue w/ Israel trying to be in a club of people who hate them, and have an ugly history w/ Jews – something that Israel doesn’t have w/ Asian peoples (aside from Arabs or Turks who tried to conquer and convert them but failed)
Had I been Jewish, I wouldn’t want any part of Europe, and would actively boycott them, and instead look at Asian countries like Taiwan, Vietnam, etc for my foreign friends
Patton says
Point taken.
࿗Infidel࿘ says
Thanks! I love Israel about as much as I disdain Europe
rick says
The greatest HOAX of the 20th and now 32st centuries is the Palestinian one. Fake people, a totally fake nation, a mere conglomerate of different Arab cultures and backgrounds and viola, you have created a new species, a Palestinian. What a load of crock. And a flag is a merely a copy of a country that is the real “Palestine”, if there is one at all. Jordan.
Dave says
On March 31, 1977, the Dutch newspaper “Trouw” interviewed PLO executive Zahir Muhsein. He said: “The Palestinian people does not exist. The creation of a Palestinian state is only a means for continuing our struggle against the state of Israel for our Arab unity. In reality today there is no difference between Jordanians, Palestinians, Syrians and Lebanese. Only for political and tactical reasons do we speak today about the existence of a Palestinian people.”
Dave says
No flag representing Palestine?
An improvement, to be sure.
rick says
Of course we haven’t reached the 32th Century yet I can almost see a group of wild marchers carrying”Palestinian” flags demanding recognition of Gaza ( a place no one has even heard of) as the Palestinian nation while chanting “Death To Israel”!!!! as Intergalactic spaceships are going to and fro in a world where nations really don’t even exist any more except the one these marches hate, Israel.
࿗Infidel࿘ says
Had they not been infested w/ islam or been obsessed w/ antisemitism, Gaza may have been an interesting city state on the Mediterranean, much like Monaco or Hong Kong. However, the only reason it’s a separate entity was that after the 6 day war, Cairo lost all interest in keeping Gaza. Indeed, when the Camp David negotiations happened and Egypt wanted to get back all of Sinai, they told Israel that they didn’t want Gaza back
Tim gallagher says
An improvement at least. No doubt the contest is full of trendoids and lefties who are pro Palestine. I just googled why is Australia in the eurovision song contest. Apparently it is so popular out here that Australia was invited to take part in 2015 and has been in it ever since. Truly bizarre. I don’t know anyone who watches it. It will be bloody embarrassing if Australia wins Eurovision one year.
ploome says
and here is the Israeli entry to the Eurovision
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lITyCZFA2DE&list=RDL9JVTSHKeqc&index=2
OLD GUY says
The Palestinian flag should become a collectors item down the road.