On the board, the union also accused the Israeli government of curtailing press freedom. This appears to be a response to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to ban the broadcasts of news channel Al Jazeera in Israel, close the offices of the Arab TV channel and further make it impossible for journalists to report on the war in Gaza. . The sign also showed the hashtags CeasefireNow and StopGenocide .
The VRT management says it was informed of the action in advance. Opposite the newspaper The last news a spokesperson states that ‘trade unions have the right to take action and do not need permission to do so’. “I can only say that we have taken note of the action.”
‘Reprehensible and inappropriate’
The Forum of Jewish Organizations (FJO) calls the industrial action ‘reprehensible and inappropriate’. ‘Not only do they turn an entertainment program into a platform for indoctrination and political action, the text projected on the screen also stands out for its complete one-sidedness.’
It also bothers Jewish organizations that there is no discussion about Hamas’ bloody attack on Israel at the beginning of October last year. ‘But even if the projected text had met minimum conditions of balance, the FJO rejects and condemns the mixing of entertainment with political indoctrination as being completely reprehensible.’
The FJO also opposes the accusation that Israel violates press freedom and states that ‘Israel has the freest press in the entire Middle East’, but that ‘as a country at war it has a duty to maintain borders to protect its citizens’. to incitement and the spread of hatred’.
Israel’s ambassador also joined the debate. “VRT, shame on you,” writes Idit Rosenzweig-Abu on X. “If only to contradict these despicable people who took up television time to broadcast anti-Israeli lies.”
Israeli Eurovision entry
The socialist trade union ACOD-VRT defends the protest. ‘We have been watching the events in the Middle East with horror for months now. We are convinced that the State of Israel is carrying out a genocide and therefore it is scandalous that there is an Israeli entry in the Eurovision Song Contest,” according to a statement.
ACOD-VRT finds it incomprehensible that the organization of the Eurovision Song Contest has not canceled Israel’s participation. ‘That is why we have decided to interrupt the broadcast. We hope to send a signal to the Israeli government to stop the fighting and killings, to allow international observers and the press in and to sit down for a negotiated solution.’
The association is not ruling out a new action tomorrow during the final of the Eurovision Song Contest. The question is whether many Belgians will watch: this year’s Belgian entry did not make it to the final. Thomas ‘Mustii’ Mustin (33) was awarded with Before The Party’s Over not enough votes.
Tags: Trade union protest Eurovision broadcast arouses anger Jewish organizations Belgium
