The Nation On Stage

Looking into performances and people represented can give an idea of the diversity somewhere. Israel represents several identities at the Eurovision Song Contest that would seem to give an appearance of a positive attitude towards diversity. However, some identities represented by Israel are complicated, as there are strained relationships with Palestine. There are still some Palestinian identities represented which demonstrates a move towards more progressive ideas towards diversity. Additionally, some acceptance of the LGBTQ community in parts of Israel is represented at Eurovision. Overall, some diversity is represented through Israel’s performances at the Eurovision Song Contest. There is a lot of commitment to Israel’s own diverse identity in how they present their songs, as many songs are all in Hebrew or include it in some aspect.

The song “There Must Be Another Way” is from 2009, following the re-election of right-wing parties into power. The leader of a party called the Likud was re-elected as prime minister in February of 2009. The Likud is against the two state solution that would give Palestine statehood. In his campaign leading up to the election Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated, “whoever moves to establish a Palestinian state or intends to withdraw from territory is simply yielding territory for radical Islamic terrorist attacks against Israel” (Jewish Virtual Library, 2018). This song is a pushback towards those against a two state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

A look into the performers, lyrics, and visuals of the song could demonstrate a pushback against this new government as well as a perspective on diversity. Achinoam Nini, also known as Noa, is from Israel and her family has origins in Yemen. She is committed to peace between Israel and Palestine and is a big advocate for the two state solution (Achinoam Nini, 2014). The other singer, Mira Awad, is Israeli-Palestinian. She is also committed to a two state solution and equal rights for Palestinians living in Israel (Mira Awad, N.d.). Both singers are activist for many social issues and participate in the larger global community in attempts to create change, something that it is evident in their performance at Eurovision.

Looking at the lyrics, sung in Arabic, English, and Hebrew, allows for further analysis into the meaning of the song itself. Starting with the title, “There Must Be Another Way” it indicates that something different should be happening, though it does not indicate what. Looking into the lyrics allows for a deeper look into what needs to change, “A long way, a very difficult way, hand in hand… / A pain with no name / We wait / Only for the next day to come” (Eurovision Song Contest, 2017). This section talks about pain and difficulty, something faced by the people of both Palestine and Israel. It also talks about how long this has been, as there has been conflict since the creation of Israel. “In your eyes a determination / That there is a possibility / To carry on the way / As long as it may take (Eurovision Song Contest, 2017). Both singers are committed to dialogue and moving forward with a two state solution, which is demonstrated here. No matter how long and how hard it is, they believe it to be a realistic possibility and that it would be a positive change, and they are willing to fight for it.

On stage the visuals show what appears to be falling rain throughout most of the song. This could also be representative of tears, which are brought up several times in the lyrics. However, it seems more likely to be rain as eventually a flower grows in the background. The rain has been watering the flower allowing it to blossom and grow. This also lends to the meaning of the song being about Israeli-Palestinian peace, as the flower could be representative of what could grow and flourish should peace be achieved. The rain is representative of the conflict, it is persistent and unpleasant, but with work it can allow something new to grow.

The 2010 performance is “Milim” by Harel Skaat. “Milim” means words in Hebrew, the language the song is performed in. The meaning of the song seems to be about a breakup experienced by the singer or the feeling of losing something. On stage during this song, little diversity is shown. The performers are all male. The majority of the camerawork focuses on the main singer in a spotlight, with little happening around him other than changing lights. The main color scheme throughout the song is shades of blue. Blue is a color often associated with sadness, which would fit with the theme of the ending of a relationship. Everyone on stage is wearing black, another color often associated with sadness and darkness.Throughout the song everyone is stationary, as maybe there is a feeling of being stuck in sadness.

The lyrics contribute to the idea the song is about a breakup: “When I remember / how today you are / in front of him / Lightning in his shadow / Breaking for him” (Eurovision Song Contest, 2017). Here it brings up the idea of someone important and close to the singer being with another person. It indicates that the singer thinks about this person frequently, but they are not there. They are with someone else doing things together that the singer did when they were in a relationship.

While the song was performed in Hebrew at the Eurovision final, there are also English and French versions. Singing a song in the national language of a country, while not shown to win Eurovision, does say something about a country. Israel is a Jewish nation and their official language is Hebrew. Jewish religion and culture are important things to many of the people of Israel, so singing in Hebrew shows a connection to the religion and culture. Also it is the official language of Israel.

The song “Ding Dong” from 2011 performed by Dana International includes all female performers. There is not a lot of structure to the performance, it seems more about having fun than creating a story. The background is color changing dots, there is no obvious choreography, and the costumes seem more fun than meaningful. However, this fits with the lyrics and message of the song. The song says, “if you have a dream of your own / don't be afraid go on with your heart” (Eurovision Song Contest, 2017) indicating that people should follow their dreams and be who they are. Furthermore, the song talks about how good self acceptance is: “Now comes the turn of the good moment / The pain of the heart turns around and leaves” (Eurovision Song Contest, 2017). This could indicate how when someone accepts themselves for who they are and follows their dreams, things feel better.

The message of the song seems to fit with the story of the singer, Dana International. She is a transgender woman who found community and acceptance in the nightlife of Tel Aviv (Eurovision Song Contest, 2017). Tel Aviv is known for being a very LGBTQ friendly city. Unfortunately the rest of Israel is less so, with many hate crimes being reported each year, and there are more that go unreported (Kamisher, 2017). However, Tel Aviv allowed International to discover who she was, and allowed her to flourish as a singer and a person, in essence allowing her to accept herself and follow her dream, as stated in the lyrics of the song.

Overall, through Israel’s performances there is an appearance of a progressive attitude towards diversity as well as an attempt to demonstrate diversity within Israel. This is shown through the inclusion of an Israeli-Palestinian singer and a transgender woman. However, the diversity is not widespread, it is limited to a few individuals. Further looking into the culture and diversity in Israel shows a lot of work that needs to be done especially with Palestinian relations, as well with the LGBTQ community outside of specific areas.

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References

“Dana International” (2017). Eurovision Song Contest.

“Full Bio” (N.d.) Mira Awad.

“Harel Skaat” (2017). Eurovision Song Contest.

“In a Nutshell” (2014, May 31). Achinoam Nini.

International, D. (2011). Ding Dong (Israel). Eurovision Song Contest 2011 Düsseldorf.

Kamisher, E. (2017, June 4). “Tel Aviv Pride Flourishes as LGBTQ Community Still Seeks Rights” A Wider Bridge.

“Likud Party: History & Overview” (2018). Jewish Virtual Library.

Noa & Mira Awad. (2009). There Must Be Another Way (Israel). Eurovision Song Contest 2009 Moscow.

“Noa & Mira Awad” (2017). Eurovision Song Contest.

Skaat, H. (2010). Milim (Israel). Eurovision Song Contest 2010 Oslo.

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