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Palestinians Preparing to Launch an Alternative to Eurovision

GAZA (Sputnik) - Palestinians and foreign activists who support their struggle for independence are preparing a musical performance as an alternative to Eurovision in Israel, which they criticise for ignoring the problem of occupation.
Sputnik

The organisers of the event, dubbed Globalvision, are going to conduct live shows in several venues worldwide and broadcast them on the Internet simultaneously with the Eurovision final, which will be held later on Saturday evening in Tel Aviv. The broadcast will start at 20:00 GMT.

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"This year Eurovision’s being used to cover up some terrible realities, such as ongoing military and cultural repression of Palestinian communities, and the continuous erasure of Palestinian land. So this year watch Globalvision – a stage for Palestinian artists to shine, and for Israeli and global Eurovision fans to join them saying: no to art-washing, no to military occupation, and yes to the right of all refugees to return," the event's press release says.

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The live events of Globalvision are expected to take place in the Palestinian city of Ramallah, in Israel's Haifa which is home to many Arabs, as well as in London and Dublin.

The alternative contest's organisers have altered the motto of the current Eurovision Song Contest — "Dare to dream," adding word "together" to it.

Protests against the conduct of Eurovision in Israel, which is occupying the Palestinian territories of the West Bank and East Jerusalem and supporting the blockade of the Gaza Strip, were held in Tel Aviv, among others. Last Sunday, about a dozen of pro-Palestinian activists stood blindfolded on their knees at the entrance for journalists accredited to cover the grand opening of the contest.

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