The heated debate over Israel's participation in the #Eurovision reveals a deep-seated desire among Israelis to be seen as European. For a significant portion of the population originating as migrants and refugees from Eastern Europe, Israel served as a place to shed their "Oriental" identities and reinvent themselves. Like a manager at the startup #Wix notoriously demanded of its staff, who were encouraged to support Israel’s ‘narrative’ in #Hamas conflict:
However, the inherent contradiction is that if Israel is accepted, or is part of Europe, or merely Exists because of European colonialism, then it's unavoidably also exposed as a colonial project.
This poignant opinion column, by Noa Limona, perpetuates the debate over Israel's empty symbolic gestures and its cynical exploitation of a grim reality of a forever-war.
"October Rain" well represents what Israel offers to the world. They're talking about a political solution to the conflict, a vision of "the day after", but what is the return that we offer? A vision devoid of vision, a solution devoid of solution, some moaning about our misery, "Haven't the Jewish people suffered enough?", and that's it. More of the same thing, which essentially contains nothing and nothing at all.
This is how we are perceived in the world, this is how the world sees us, and we have become repugnant to it.
"Writers of history," says the songless song, "stand by my side / Look into my eyes, and you will see."