Iceland: Saving Gaza One Less Pop Song At A Time

As a Jewish woman, I understandably have a complicated relationship with Israel. Its current actions are indefensible but I do believe a Jewish nation must exist. We are a small ethnic group that deserves a safe space. It’s unfortunate that safe space was created in a location surrounded by countries that hated Jews. More importantly, it’s tragic and heartbreaking that that space was already inhabited by a group of people. It’s awful that peace was not reached early on. This situation has fault on both sides.

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is so complicated that most Jews can’t even wrap their head around it. From the Camp David Summit to Arafat to Hamas, there is too much history to even remotely dive into. Scholars have trouble and therefore I imagine so do the newly-minted social media scholars who only became vocal about protesting Israel once they won a pop music contest.

Y’all are toys

Last week, Netta won Eurovision with her feminist-banger ‘Toy’. Immediately, a social media fury was unveiled in Iceland to boycott the contest next year to protest Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians. It’s perhaps noble—what is going on in Gaza right now is heartbreaking. That said, I do think it’s the ultimate slacktivism and fucking insulting to the Palestinians and liberal Israelis who have to live in fear of missiles and bus bombs and getting shot while protesting every day. Keyboard warriors making themselves feel better as they sit back in the safety of their little island while Israelis and Palestinians die.

“Will Israel actually care if Iceland doesn’t come to Eurovision next year? No.”

Will Israel actually care if Iceland doesn’t come to Eurovision next year? No. Will Israel even care if no European country comes? Not at all. This is all so meaningless. It’s basically like saying you’ll protest Donald Trump by not watching ‘Game Of Thrones’. More importantly, this whole campaign will probably have blown over by the time this issue comes out. These things never last and Israel will continue colonising Palestine and Hamas will continue to try and wipe out the Israelis. If you really care, boycott all American products and trade until they resend economic support of Israel. That might actually do something. But of course, that would require some actual work.