JJ's sharp criticism of Israel: ORF distances himself-Political slat at the ESC!

JJ's sharp criticism of Israel: ORF distances himself-Political slat at the ESC!

Wien, Österreich - The Austrian Eurovision winner JJ, whose bourgeois name Johannes Pietsch is, ensures considerable controversy with his recent statements about the Israeli participation in the Eurovision Song Contest (ESC). In an interview with the Spanish newspaper el País JJ expressed his disappointment about Israel's participation in the competition and declared that he would like ESC will take place in Vienna next year without Israel. He described Israeli participation as "disappointing" and criticized the "strange" circumstances in televoting, which Israel brought in 297 points.

JJ, who won this year's competition with his song "Wasted Love" and defeated Yuval Raphael from Israel, also pulled parallels between the war in Gaza and the Russian attack on Ukraine. At the same time, he emphasized that any form of violence against civilians, regardless of nationality. However, he added that his statements may have been misunderstood and published an apology about his record company Warner .

political reactions

The reactions to JJ's statements were not long in coming. The ORF distanced itself from its statements and emphasized that they only reflected JJ's personal opinion. The broadcaster emphasized that there was a clear separation of politics and entertainment at the ESC and referred to the European Radio Union (EBU), which is responsible for the participation of the individual countries. Wolfgang Sobotka from the ÖVP described JJS statements as "unacceptable" and accused him of "demonization" of Israel. Johanna Mikl-Leitner, Governor of Lower Austria, also criticized JJ Scharf and called for a history for him.

historical context of the esc

The ESC has changed from a pure music competition to an important political forum over the years. Since Conchita Wurst's striking victory in 2014, it has been shown that the competition is also a pulse provider for the socio -political mood in Europe. EBU has always tried political neutrality, but the messages behind the articles are increasingly becoming the central theme of the event. For example, the Ukrainian Folk Rap Group Kalush Orchestra won in 2022, which was interpreted as clear political support for Ukraine.

JJ's criticism and the associated reactions once again illustrate how much the ESC is now characterized by political debates and how the Australian singer Yuval Raphael, who is a survivor of a Hamas attack, stands in this polarized atmosphere. After her second placement, she also expressed her thankfully to her supporters, but JJ's controversy commented on.

The EBU intends to preserve the ESC as a "universal event", which stands for "connection and diversity through music", and is thus in the middle of the balance between entertainment and the relevance of political discourses. In this context, it remains to be seen how the inquiries for reviewing the voting and the debate about Israeli participation will continue.