Critiquing the National Brand
When thinking of Europe, Israel is not the first country that comes to mind. Israel is a Middle Eastern country surrounded by Syria, Jordan, Egypt, and the Mediterranean Sea, so it might be surprising to find Israel on the stage at the Eurovision Song Contest. Israel is a member of the European Broadcasting Union which allows them to participate in Eurovision. At Eurovision, Israel gets to show off their music, culture, and national brand. This is a good way for Israel to get visibility and tell people about their country. However, to what extent is the reality of what it is like in Israel being presented? Eurovision allows countries to show a certain side through including, or excluding, certain elements and groups of people in their performances.
From 2009 to 2011 three performances by Israel at the Eurovision Song Contest allowed the country to show an element of diversity. The 2009 song “There Must Be Another Way” was performed by two women one of whom is Israeli-Palestinian, the lyrics included the use of Arabic, and the song presented a progressive message in the direction of a two-state solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. In 2010 “Milim” performed by Harel Skaat, is seemingly a break-up song, however the lyrics do not include pronouns when referring to the former lover. This makes the message of the song universal and leaves the lyrics open for interpretation as to the gender of the former partner. In 2011 former Eurovision winner, Dana International, returned with the song “Ding Dong.” Dana is a transgender woman who presented a song about following your dream and being yourself. For all three performances some diversity is shown on stage. There is little racial diversity presented on stage. However, in regards to gender and sexuality, there are hints of progressiveness. Additionally, there are mixes of male and female singers and performers.
Looking at these performances in conjunction with the national identity there are places where it seems to fit. Israel is presented as an LGBTQ friendly country both at Eurovision and outside of it. “Milim” is a break-up song with a universal and fluid message because it does not include pronouns in the lyrics. “Ding Dong” is a song by Dana, a transgender woman, telling people to follow their dreams and be themselves like she was able to in the city of Tel Aviv. However, closer investigation demonstrates that this openness is mostly limited to the city of Tel Aviv, which is very progressive and LGBTQ friendly. Outside of Tel Aviv, Israel is less open and many hate crimes against LGBTQ individuals are reported. It is suspected that more occur than get reported each year (Kamisher, 2017). While the presentation at Eurovision supports the idea that Israel is supportive of the LGBTQ community, activists are still working towards equal rights and the creation of a safe community for LGBTQ individuals, especially outside of Tel Aviv.
The ideas presented in the song “There Must Be Another Way” appears very progressive as well. The lyrics focus on unity and the idea that there is a peaceful way to a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. This song faced a lot of controversy prior to and at the time it was performed. The announcement that Noa and Mira Awad would be representing Israel at Eurovision came not long after Israel moved into an area in Gaza, controlled by the Palestinian group Hamas. A lot of the protest came from Arabs, saying that Awad, a Palestinian-Israeli, was being used as part of propaganda, “Her fellow Arabs have urged her to step down from Eurovision because they see it as propaganda for a racist state” (Devichand, 2009). People in Israel say that this unity and harmony between an Israeli-Jew, Noa, and a Palestinian-Israeli, Awad, doesn’t accurately portray what is actually happening in Israel, “Palestinians say no Arab living in Israel should be presenting a picture of harmony that doesn't exist, especially when the pair were chosen at the height of Israel's recent bombardment of Gaza” (ABC News and Current Affairs, 2009). Even though they are supposed to have the same rights, many Palestinians find they are not treated equally in Israel. Some Palestinians say that this representation of unity can be made on stage once progress has been made, and they are treated equally to Israeli-Jews. However, as this is not currently the case, many felt this was an unfair representation to be presenting on an international stage.
Israel is country that has been ever changing throughout its short history. There has been conflict with Palestine since the creation, which has lead to constantly changing borders. Israel was founded following World War II, as a place for Jewish people after being persecuted over and over again. However, the land was not land to be given away as it was where Arab Palestinians were living. This has lead to conflict and constant disputes between the two groups. Since Israel was made to be a majority Jewish nation, Jewish religion and culture are important in the country. Many people in Israel are Jewish, whether in religion or culture, or both. This influences a lot of decisions, the culture, national language, and more in Israel.
Israel being a majority Jewish nation, makes that very important in their nation branding and national identity. This is presented in their Eurovision entries through the use of Hebrew in all three songs from 2009 to 2011. “The Must Be Another Way” is sung in Arabic, Hebrew, and English. Outside of Jewish religion and culture having an influence, this says a lot about what the song is trying to say. It appeals to a wide range of audiences and includes Arabic, the language spoken by many Palestinians. “Milim” is entirely in Hebrew, and “Ding Dong” is in Hebrew and English. This lines up with Israel’s national identity as Hebrew is the official language, and English is the most commonly spoken foreign language (CIA, 2018). Singing in a country’s official language is not proven to win Eurovision, however it does say a lot about the country itself and the value they place on that aspect of their national identity.
As with all countries at Eurovision, Israel participates in nation branding. Nation branding is described as, “...the phenomenon by which governments engage in self- conscious activities aimed at producing a certain image of the nation state” (Jordan, 2014, p. 16). This allows nations to project a specific image to those outside of it. At Eurovision, Israel appears to be a progressive, forward thinking, and accepting country. The songs give messages about hope for peace, acceptance of those who are different, and ideas of progress. This is part of their nation branding, as they want to appear a certain way. However, a closer look allows to see how the nation branding is misaligned with Israel as a country. For example, the song “There Must Be Another Way” appears progressive, but Noa had to insist upon Awad being allowed to join her, as she was the only one initially asked to perform (Eurovision Song Contest, 2009). Other things, such as the acceptance of LGBTQ individuals is also not as open as it may appear. Hate crimes against the LGBTQ community still occur all over Israel and even in the very open and accepting city of Tel-Aviv (A Wider Bridge, 2017).
This attempt to be seen as a progressive and forward thinking nation could be seen as a form of conforming to Western European ideals in an attempt to win Eurovision. In order to win, countries that are not seen as “typical” European countries have to buy into stereotypes and conform to Western European ideals. To Israel, this may mean presenting a liberal facade. These seemingly progressive ideas could be seen as them attempting to win Eurovision by appealing to a certain audience. Presenting a song with a message that appeals to Western European ideas could get more votes and therefore give Israel a better chance of winning. This would suggest that Israel takes Eurovision seriously and they enter with an intent to win the contest.
Eurovision is an important stage for Israel, as it is not a typical European country, to get visibility and show off their identity and culture, however looking at the songs they present there is a mismatch between what is being presented and the actuality of how things are in Israel. As shown through the work of LGBTQ activists and Palestinian-Arabs, there are still areas that are working towards change. One piece that is conveyed accurately in Israel’s Eurovision performances is the importance of Jewish religion and culture. This is demonstrated through the use of Hebrew in all three songs from 2009 to 2011. A look into these performances allows an idea of what Israel’s nation branding strategy is. To those outside Israel, it appears as though Israel is working hard to be progressive, forward thinking, and accepting. However, looking at statistics and all the work activists are doing to progress rights and treatment of groups such as Palestinians and the LGBTQ community tells a different narrative. This work that needs to be done is not evident in their performances as these fit with their nation branding strategy. This leads to an overall misalignment in what is being said versus what is actually happening. Nation branding is a difficult concept as nations want to brand themselves positively, but that does not get rid of issues that may be happening in the nation.
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References
ABC News and Current Affairs (Producer). (2009, March 24). Lateline [Israeli Eurovision
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Jordan, P. (2014). The Modern Fairy Tale: Nation Branding, National Identity and theEurovision Song Contest in Estonia. Estonia: University of Tartu Press.Kamisher, E. (2017, June 4). “Tel Aviv Pride Flourishes as LGBTQ Community Still Seeks“Noa & Mira: A Message Of Co-Existence.” (2009, April 16). Eurovision Song Contest.Noa & Mira Awad. (2009). There Must Be Another Way (Israel). Eurovision Song Contest2009 Moscow. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBTQFOkFZw8
Skaat, H. (2010). Milim (Israel). Eurovision Song Contest 2010 Oslo. Retrieved from
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