Less than a week away from this year’s Eurovision song contest held in Tel Aviv, international calls for boycotting the event in solidarity with Palestinians have yet not disrupted the annual competition.
But Israeli authorities are at pains to ensure that the world’s longest running televised singing contest does not become a platform for protest against the country’s military occupation of the West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem and its treatment of Palestinians.
Eurovision will take place May 14-18 in the coastal city of Tel Aviv. May 15 is the annual commemoration of the Palestinian nakba, or catastrophe, in which Palestinians remember the 700,000 who fled or were expelled from their homes with Israel’s creation 71 years ago.
The international Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign has called on performers and broadcasters to withdraw from the Tel Aviv competition, which it condemned as “artwashing – whitewashing through art”.
After Israel won the 2018 competition, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had hoped to hold the event in Jerusalem, a city that both Israelis and Palestinians lay claim to. Israel has hosted Eurovision in Jerusalem twice before.
This year, though, the competition’s sponsor, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), instead chose Tel Aviv for its “best overall setup,” according to a statement.
Following the announcement, the union’s steering committee Chairman Frank-Dieter Freiling said he expected Mr Netanyahu to guarantee “security, access for everyone to attend, freedom of expression and ensuring the non-political nature of the contest”.
Nonetheless, Israeli authorities have said they will deny entry to anyone coming to boycott or disrupt the event.
"If we know for certain that we will be facing people who are anti-Israel activists and whose sole purpose is to disturb the event then we will use the legal instruments that we have regarding the entry to Israel," a foreign ministry spokesman, Emmanuel Nahshon, told The Guardian.
Two years ago, Israel passed legislation that codified its practice of denying entry to any individuals or representatives of groups, including Israeli citizens, who support some form of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement.
Contestants in the competition had already started to arrive in Israel when fighting between Israel and Hamas in Gaza escalated this weekend into the bloodiest since the 2014 war. Twenty-five Palestinians and four Israelis were killed before the two sides reached a ceasefire early Monday morning.
On Wednesday, the Gaza-based Palestinian Artists Association called on contestants to boycott the event, which they said Israel was using to “perpetuate oppression, promote injustice or whitewash a brutal apartheid regime”.
As an alternative, international and Palestinian activists are planning “Globalvision,” a singing event to be streamed online around the world. With its tagline “Dare to Dream Together,” – a riff off of Eurovision’s theme of “Dare to Dream” – the event is set to air at the same time as the Eurovision finals on May 18. Along with ongoing social media campaigns, that same day activists are planning a protest in Tel Aviv against Eurovision.
So far, none of the 42 scheduled Eurovision acts have withdrawn.
Iceland’s act, the band Hatari, which describes itself as an “anti-capitalist, BDSM [bondage, discipline, dominance and submission], techno-dystopian,” have made news by challenging Mr Netanyahu to a traditional Icelandic wrestling match.
On Tuesday, they pointedly visited the occupied West Best city of Hebron, where small and extreme Israeli settlements are dotted around the Palestinian-majority city.
Nonetheless, they’ve also reiterated in interviews that they do not intend to disrupt the contest with political statements, which the EBU forbids.
Where to donate in the UAE
The Emirates Charity Portal
You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.
The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments
The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.
Al Noor Special Needs Centre
You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.
Beit Al Khair Society
Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.
Dar Al Ber Society
Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.
Dubai Cares
Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.
Emirates Airline Foundation
Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.
Emirates Red Crescent
On the Emirates Red Crescent website you can choose between 35 different purposes for your donation, such as providing food for fasters, supporting debtors and contributing to a refugee women fund. It also has a list of bank accounts for each donation type.
Gulf for Good
Gulf for Good raises funds for partner charity projects through challenges, like climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling through Thailand. This year’s projects are in partnership with Street Child Nepal, Larchfield Kids, the Foundation for African Empowerment and SOS Children's Villages. Since 2001, the organisation has raised more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) in support of over 50 children’s charities.
Noor Dubai Foundation
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).
The candidates
Dr Ayham Ammora, scientist and business executive
Ali Azeem, business leader
Tony Booth, professor of education
Lord Browne, former BP chief executive
Dr Mohamed El-Erian, economist
Professor Wyn Evans, astrophysicist
Dr Mark Mann, scientist
Gina MIller, anti-Brexit campaigner
Lord Smith, former Cabinet minister
Sandi Toksvig, broadcaster
T20 World Cup Qualifier, Muscat
UAE FIXTURES
Friday February 18: v Ireland
Saturday February 19: v Germany
Monday February 21: v Philippines
Tuesday February 22: semi-finals
Thursday February 24: final
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
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Price: On request
How to avoid crypto fraud
- Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
- Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
- Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
- Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
- Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
- Only use reputable platforms that have a track record of strong regulatory compliance.
- Store funds in hardware wallets as opposed to online exchanges.
LUKA CHUPPI
Director: Laxman Utekar
Producer: Maddock Films, Jio Cinema
Cast: Kartik Aaryan, Kriti Sanon, Pankaj Tripathi, Vinay Pathak, Aparshakti Khurana
Rating: 3/5
Walls
Louis Tomlinson
3 out of 5 stars
(Syco Music/Arista Records)
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
THE SPECS
Engine: Four-cylinder 2.5-litre
Transmission: Seven-speed auto
Power: 165hp
Torque: 241Nm
Price: Dh99,900 to Dh134,000
On sale: now
TO ALL THE BOYS: ALWAYS AND FOREVER
Directed by: Michael Fimognari
Starring: Lana Condor and Noah Centineo
Two stars
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
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Price: From Dh117,059
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
Source: American Paediatric Association
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Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
THE CLOWN OF GAZA
Director: Abdulrahman Sabbah
Starring: Alaa Meqdad
Rating: 4/5
APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)
Display: 21cm Liquid Retina Display, 2266 x 1488, 326ppi, 500 nits
Chip: Apple A17 Pro, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
Storage: 128/256/512GB
Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, digital zoom up to 5x, Smart HDR 4
Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR 4, full-HD @ 25/30/60fps
Biometrics: Touch ID, Face ID
Colours: Blue, purple, space grey, starlight
In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter
Price: From Dh2,099
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The specs
Engine: 5.0-litre supercharged V8
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Power: 575bhp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: Dh554,000
On sale: now
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
