Reykjavík Grapevine - 18.05.2018, Page 56

L IF E , T R AV EL & EN T ER TA INMEN T IN ICEL A ND
Issue 08 × 2018
May 18th – May 31st
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LAST WORDS
Saving Gaza
One Less Pop
Song At A Time
Words: Hannah Jane Cohen
As a Jewish woman, I understandably have
a complicated relationship with Israel. Its
current actions are indefensible but I do
believe a Jewish nation must exist. We are
a small ethnic group that deserves a safe
space. It’s unfortunate that safe space was
created in a location surrounded by coun-
tries that hated Jews. More importantly, it’s
tragic that that space was already inhabited.
It’s awful that peace was not reached early
on. This situation has fault on both sides.
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is so
complicated that most Jews can’t even wrap
their head around it. From the Camp David
Summit to Arafat to Hamas, there is too
much history to even remotely dive into.
Scholars have trouble and therefore I imag-
ine so do the newly-minted social media
scholars who only became vocal about pro-
testing Israel once they won a pop music
contest.
Last week, Netta won Eurovision with her
feminist-banger ‘Toy’. Immediately, a social
media fury was unveiled in Iceland to boy-
cott the contest next year to protest Israel’s
treatment of the Palestinians. It’s perhaps
noble—what is going on in Gaza right now is
heartbreaking. That said, I do think it’s the
ultimate slacktivism and fucking insult-
ing to the Palestinians and liberal Israelis
who have to live in fear of missiles and bus
bombs and getting shot while protesting
every day. Keyboard warriors making them-
selves feel better in the safety of their island
while Israelis and Palestinians die.
Will Israel actually care if Iceland doesn’t
come to Eurovision next year? No. Will Isra-
el even care if no European country comes?
Not at all. This is all so meaningless. It’s
basically like saying you’ll protest Donald
Trump by not watching ‘Game Of Thrones’.
More importantly, this whole campaign will
probably have blown over by the time this
issue comes out. These things never last and
Israel will continue colonising Palestine
and Hamas will continue to try and wipe
out the Israelis. If you really care, boycott all
American products and trade until they re-
send economic support of Israel. That might
actually do something. But of course, that
would require some actual work.