Eurovision 2024: Divided over Israel
The Take
Al Jazeera
4.7 • 748 Ratings
🗓️ 10 May 2024
⏱️ 17 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Usually all quirky music and fun, Eurovision this year has been marked by protests over Israel’s participation during its ongoing war on Gaza. Will it overshadow an event meant to unite?
In this episode:
- Nils Adler (@nilsadler1), Al Jazeera Journalist
Episode credits:
This episode was produced by Ashish Malhotra and Chloe K. Li with our host Malika Bilal. Catherine Nouhan fact-checked this episode.
Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our lead of audience development and engagement is Aya Elmileik and Adam Abou-Gad is our engagement producer.
Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer. Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera's head of audio.
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@AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Threads and YouTube
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Al Jazeera Podcasts. |
| 0:07.0 | Today, this Eurovision Song Contest |
| 0:14.0 | The Global Song Contest that set off mass protests. |
| 0:19.0 | I think there is no way that Israel should be able to participate in your vision. |
| 0:26.6 | Why Israel's participation in Eurovision threatens to overshadow the whole event. |
| 0:34.6 | I'm Malika Bilal, and this is The Take. |
| 0:45.4 | Baby lasagna. |
| 0:48.2 | Bambi thug. |
| 0:51.6 | Windows 95 Man. |
| 1:00.7 | These are just some of the competitors making headlines at this year's Eurovision in Malmove, Sweden. |
| 1:08.3 | All of them are hoping to achieve the kind of worldwide fame that launched the careers of Abba and Celine Dion. |
| 1:15.1 | Those current competitors' names seem on brand with Eurovision's quirky style of entertainment that's delighted audiences for almost 70 years. |
| 1:19.1 | In 2024, organizers are hoping for more of the same. |
| 1:24.1 | But this year's contest, with Israel competing against a backdrop of the war on Gaza, is no ordinary affair. |
| 1:35.1 | Niels Adler is an Al-Dazera producer based in Sweden, reporting from Malmo. |
| 1:40.2 | I spoke to him on Thursday, before the end of the semifinals. |
| 1:43.8 | I'm a producer with Al-Dazira. I report from lots of different locations. I spoke to him on Thursday before the end of the semifinals. |
| 1:45.3 | I'm a producer with Al-Dazira. |
| 1:49.6 | I report from lots of different locations, including Israel and Palestine. |
| 1:53.3 | But right now, outside of Malma in the south of Sweden. |
| 1:56.9 | Walt Niels, welcome back to the take. |
| 2:00.1 | For our audience, that's outside of Europe, who may not be familiar with Eurovision |
... |
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