Sunday, February 9, 2025

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1000 Swedish artists: “Throw Israel out of Eurovision”

The situation in Gaza

Published 31 January 2024
– By Editorial Staff
Melissa Horn, Eric Saade, and Robyn are three of the signatories.

1005 Swedish artists have signed a petition asking SVT and the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) to exclude Israel from the Eurovision Song Contest. The reason is Israel’s invasion and bombing of Gaza.

“10,000 dead children and a genocide investigation means that it is no longer a political issue. It is a moral issue”, says popular singer Eric Saade.

The artists point out that more than 25,000 Palestinians have been killed in “Israel’s brutal war” – and that more than 10,000 of them are children. In addition, 85% of the population has been forced to flee and the situation is a large-scale humanitarian disaster.

“The International Court of Justice in The Hague has recently decided to proceed with the case accusing Israel of violating the Genocide Convention”, it notes.

It appeals to the EBU, which organizes the competition, not to allow Israel’s participation in 2024, pointing out that Russia was excluded after it invaded Ukraine.

“Allowing Israel’s participation undermines not only the spirit of the competition, but the entire public service mission. It also sends a signal that governments can commit war crimes without consequences. Therefore, we appeal to the EBU: Exclude Israel from the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest”, they write, expecting “the EBU and this year’s host broadcaster SVT to be consistent in their stance towards participating countries that violate democratic values and human rights”.

“Welcoming countries that place themselves above humanitarian law to participate in international cultural events trivializes violations of international law and makes the suffering of the victims invisible”, they say.

“Serious war crimes”

Artists who have signed the petition include Anna Ternheim, Eric Saade, Peg Parnevik, Robyn, Mauro Scocco, Silvana Imam, Timbuktu, Sabina Ddumba, Viagra Boys, Newkid, Petra Marklund, Daniel Adams-Ray, Malena Ernman, Marit Bergman and Miriam Bryant.

“I didn’t have the heart to turn a blind eye to what was going on, I love Melodifestivalen and ESC and everything they stand for. I can’t stand to see their credibility destroyed in this way”, Eric Saade wrote in an e-mail to SVT.

“10,000 dead children and a genocide investigation means that this is no longer a political issue. It is a moral issue, and I love this context (ESC) too much not to express my concern”, he continues.

Already 1300 Finnish musicians have called on broadcaster Yle to either put pressure on the organizers or boycott the contest in Malmö – Iceland has not yet decided whether it will participate in Eurovision.

Some 300 Norwegian artists, like their Swedish counterparts, are calling for Israel to be excluded from the contest, again citing Israel’s war crimes.

“We cannot passively watch a country that commits gross war crimes against an imprisoned people participate in a shared celebration of music, diversity and unity. We urge the NRC to stand up for the exclusion of Israel from this year’s Eurovision”, they said.

Researcher skeptical

However, Eurovision researcher Zoe Jay doubts that Israel will actually be excluded – despite the demands. This is because the Swedish political establishment has a positive attitude towards the country.

– It is unlikely at the moment that Israel will be excluded from Eurovision 2024… There is no widespread criticism at the government level about Israel’s participation, unlike in the case of Russia, she says.

The leader of the Left Party, Nooshi Dadgostar, is the only Swedish party leader to say that Israel’s participation should be stopped.

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Trump: US to take over Gaza – and deport all Palestinians

Donald Trump's USA

Published 6 February 2025
– By Editorial Staff
Trump and Netanyahu during yesterday's press conference.

In a stunning announcement on Tuesday, President Donald Trump declared that the US will “take over” the entire Gaza Strip, “level the site” and then rebuild it.

The US President also believes that the two million Palestinians currently living in the area must leave Gaza permanently.

– They instead can occupy all of a beautiful area with homes and safety, and they can live out their lives in peace and harmony in other areas or countries, he said at a press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

– The U.S. will take over the Gaza Strip, and we will do a job with it, too. We’ll own it and be responsible for dismantling all of the dangerous unexploded bombs and other weapons on the site. Level the site and get rid of the destroyed buildings and create an economic development that will supply unlimited numbers of jobs and housing for the people of the area, the President continued.

Gaza, according to Trump, will be transformed into the “Riviera of the Middle East”. However, it is not mainly Palestinians in Gaza who will benefit from this prosperity instead, “people from all over the world will live there”.

“Can’t live in Gaza”

Trump wants the entire Palestinian population to be permanently relocated to other countries such as neighboring Jordan and Egypt.

– We should go to other countries of interest with humanitarian hearts, and there are many of them that want to do this, and build various domains that will ultimately be occupied by the 1.8 million Palestinians living in Gaza.

Forcing the entire Palestinian population to leave their homes forever has, according to the President, great advantages because in such a scenario they’re “going to have peace” and will not be shot at and killed.

– The only reason the Palestinians want to go back to Gaza is they have no alternative.

“Everyone loves the idea”

He also believes that a US “long-term ownership” of Gaza will “bring great stability” to the region and that this is a very popular idea back home in the US.

– Everybody I have spoken to loves the idea of the United States owning that piece of land.

Asked if the displaced Palestinians will have the right to return in the future, the President says this is not an issue.

It would be my hope that we could do something really nice, really good, where they wouldn’t want to return. Why would they want to return? That place has been hell.

“Fresh ideas”

Speaking briefly after Trump, Netanyahu praised the US president for his “fresh ideas”.

– I believe, Mr. President, that your willingness to puncture conventional thinking, thinking that has failed time and time and time again, your willingness to think outside the box with fresh ideas will help us achieve all these goals.

Jordan and Egypt have so far resisted taking in millions of displaced Palestinians but Trump said he still had “a feeling” that the countries’ leaders “will open their hearts and will give us the kind of land that we need to get this done. And people can live in harmony and peace”.

MEP at the Holocaust ceremony in Brussels: “Let us pray for the victims in Gaza”

The situation in Gaza

Published 31 January 2025
– By Editorial Staff
Grzegorz Braun has recently attracted attention for several controversial actions.

The European Parliament’s annual minute’s silence for the victims of the Holocaust on Wednesday was interrupted by Polish MEP Grzegorz Braun, who instead focused on Israel’s ethnic cleansing of Gaza.

Let us pray for the victims of the Jewish genocide in Gaza, Braun declared and then repeated his call once more.

 

Thank you very much, thank you very much, for your prayers for the victims of the Jewish genocide in Gaza, Braun repeated once more before the minute of silence ended.

According to Braun, he did not interfere with the purpose of the ceremony, but rather wanted to draw attention to how some victims of war crimes and genocide are valued more than others.

I shared the observation that all victims are apparently equal, but some are more equal than others”, he explained afterwards.

Dragged out of the room

The move was not appreciated by the President, Roberta Metsola, who shortly afterwards ordered Braun to be dragged from the room. Braun’s outburst has been described by critics as “hateful rhetoric”, with Dutch Christian Democrat Bert-Jan Ruissen, among others, calling for Braun to be punished and subjected to the “highest possible sanctions” that the EU body can impose.

Braun is a member of the national conservative party Korona, the “Crown”, and is running for president in Poland later this year. He has come under fire for strong statements against the Jewish lobby and for demolishing a sign for an official press conference on COVID passports when they were launched in Poland.

Perhaps Braun’s most high-profile action in the past was when he used a fire extinguisher to put out a Jewish candlestick (menorah) placed in the Polish Parliament for the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah.

– The people participating in the Satanic cult should be ashamed, he declared in connection with this event.

Following the incident, Mr. Braun was suspended for six months and legal proceedings were initiated. However, Braun later followed up the high-profile action by condemning Jewish racism against European nations in the Polish Parliament.

Trump wants to empty Gaza

The situation in Gaza

Published 28 January 2025
– By Editorial Staff
Donald Trump on Gaza: “I’d like Egypt to take people, and I’d like Jordan to take people".

US President Donald Trump has proposed evacuating the Palestinian population of Gaza to neighboring Jordan and Egypt to “clean out the area. Trump discussed his proposal with Jordan’s King Abdullah II yesterday and says he plans to hold talks with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi soon.

Donald Trump says that after 15 months of conflict between Israel and Hamas, the Gaza Strip has been turned into a “demolition site” and that Palestinians could be better off in new homes in neighboring countries.

Trump says his proposal could be either a temporary or permanent solution, AP reports.

– I’d like Egypt to take people, and I’d like Jordan to take people. You’re talking about probably a million and a half people, we just clean out that whole thing, Donald Trump said during a press conference aboard Air Force One.

The proposal has been strongly criticized by both Palestinian authorities and the proposed host countries. Palestinians see it as a threat to their right to return to their homes and fear that such a move would be permanent.

Jordan and Egypt have previously rejected similar proposals, citing the risk of destabilization and security concerns.

Ethnic cleansing

The international community outside the Western bloc has repeatedly called for solutions that respect the rights of Palestinians, with accusations repeatedly made against Israel of deliberately carrying out a campaign of ethnic cleansing in Gaza. The International Criminal Court in The Hague has also called for the country’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to be charged with crimes against humanity.

Hamas and the Palestinian Authority have condemned Trump’s statements, saying the proposal is a violation of Palestinian rights. Rather, they believe the focus should be on ending the occupation and establishing an independent Palestinian state, according to Al-Jazeera.

Donald Trump has also decided to resume deliveries of 2,000-pound bombs to Israel. Deliveries that were previously stopped by former President Joe Biden. The decision has sparked further criticism and concerns about an escalation of violence in the region.

How the international community will react to Trump’s proposal, and what consequences it may have for the situation in Gaza and the surrounding countries, remains to be seen.

In the meantime, the humanitarian crisis in the region continues, with millions of people in need of assistance and protection.

Following the ceasefire: Gazans search for the dead

The situation in Gaza

Published 24 January 2025
– By Editorial Staff
The Palestinian Civil Defense says it has already found hundreds of bodies.

Since the ceasefire took effect in Gaza, rescue workers and civilians have started to dig out bodies from the rubble of Israeli bombings.

In the first few days of the ceasefire, at least 200 dead have been found, and the Palestinian Civil Defense estimates that another 10,000 missing people are still buried under the rubble.

Rescuers and family members are working feverishly to find and identify the dead.

– In every street there are dead. In every neighborhood there are people under the buildings, said Abdullah Al-Majdalawi, a 24-year-old civil defense worker in Gaza City.

Civil Defense estimates that it will take at least 100 days to recover all the bodies, but the lack of bulldozers and other essential equipment could prolong the process further.

Many of the recovered bodies are in poor condition, making identification difficult, reports British state broadcaster BBC.

The UN has previously estimated that around 60% of all buildings in Gaza have been damaged or destroyed during the 15 months of fighting. The images now being broadcast around the world show widespread devastation, particularly in northern Gaza.

Palestinian civil defense under pressure

Mahmoud Basal, spokesperson for the Palestinian Civil Defense, says that 48% of civil defense personnel have either been killed, injured or detained during the conflict.

In addition, 85% of the agency’s vehicles and 17 out of 21 facilities are reported to have been damaged or destroyed, further hampering rescue efforts.

According to Palestinian health authorities, more than 47,000 people have been killed in Gaza during the conflict, most of them women and children. Another 111 000 have been injured. However, these figures have not been independently verified.

The ceasefire, which came into force on January 19, has given the more than two million inhabitants of Gaza a much-needed break from the fighting.

At the same time, humanitarian aid has been able to increase significantly, with over 630 trucks crossing the border on the first day – the largest delivery since the beginning of the war.

Although the ceasefire has brought a halt to the bombing, Gaza is facing a huge humanitarian crisis.

The UN World Food Program (WFP) reports that more than two million Gazans are now homeless, without income and completely dependent on food aid for their survival.