Sawt Falasteen - Eurovision promises glitz -- and controversy over Israel

Switzerland's third-biggest city of Basel hosts this year's extravaganza, which is one of world's biggest annual live television events.

The contest, nearly 70 years old, will bring together 37 countries, and conclude with the final on May 17.

Israel has taken part since 1973, because its public broadcaster was in the European Broadcasting Union (EBU).

But with the widespread anger over Israel's devastating military actions in Gaza -- and taking into account Russia being booted out of the EBU in 2022 because of its invasion of Ukraine -- there is controversy over Israel being allowed to perform in this year's competition.

Spain's public broadcaster last week asked the European Broadcasting Union to open a "debate" on the appropriateness of Israel taking part.

More than 10,000 people have also signed a petition in Finland urging the country's public broadcaster to push for Israel to be barred.

The EBU, which oversees Eurovision, counts public broadcasters from across Europe, as well as Israel and Australia, as members.

The Geneva-based organisation on Friday noted "concerns and deeply held views around the current conflict in the Middle East," but stated that all its members were eligible to compete.

The war in Gaza already clouded last year's contest, when thousands of demonstrators protested Israeli competitor Eden Golan in the Swedish city of Malmo.

Yuval Raphael, a singer who survived Hamas's deadly attack inside Israel in October 2023 that sparked the war in Gaza, will represent Israel in Basel, with the song "New Day Will Rise".

- 'Offensive' -

Other controversies are roiling this year's glamfest.

In Italy, there have been protests over the Estonian submission, "Espresso macchiato", which some argue shows cultural insensitivities.

Italian consumer association Codacons has slammed Tommy Cash's catchy song, which draws on a number of Italian stereotypes, as "offensive" and demanded it be excluded.

But the song, which features lyrics like "Mi money numeroso, I work around the clocko. That’s why I'm sweating like a mafioso", remains in the running.

Finland's contribution, by 32-year-old Erika Vikman and entitled "Ich komme" in German, or "I come", has meanwhile drawn allegations of bordering on the pornographic.

Vikman puts on an energetic show celebrating undisciplined female sexual liberation and pleasure, mixing Finnish disco tunes and electronic music.

She is seen in videos wearing a tight black latex corset with bare buttocks showing as she sings: "I am Erika, you have stamina, hit me again, grab my butt, and when you want love again, scream 'encore', yes baby, ich komme."

At the EBU's resuest, Vikman says she has toned down some of the sexual attributes of the performance and will be wearing an outfit less revealing than originally planned.

"There is a bit of butt coverage," she told Finnish public broadcaster Yle.

- 'Rough edges' -

Online betting sites suggest the most likely winner will be Sweden's act -- in fact performed by a Swedish-speaking comedy trio from Sweden's neighbour Finland.

The Finnish group KAJ is due to perform "Bara bada bastu" (Just have a sauna) in Swedish.

On stage, the three men wear suits in a mock sauna surrounded by dancers in towels and wool hats, and armed with bouquets of birch branches, used by sauna enthusiasts to whip up their blood circulation.

The unusual track, with its comic chorus, is quite different from the polished, glossy tunes typically heard from Sweden, which fielded ABBA in 1974 .

"Today, it seems the public is more open to rough edges, originality and singularity," Fabien Randanne, a journalist at 20 Minutes and Eurovision specialist, told AFP.

Sweden, which has seven prior Eurovision triumphs to its name, currently ties with Ireland as the country holding the most wins.

Its last victory dates back to 2023, with the more conventional pop song "Tattoo" by Loreen, who also won the competition in 2012.

Online betting sites currently give the Austrian submission the second-best odds.

"Wasted Love", sung by 23-year-old Austrian-Filipino countertenor Johannes Pietsch, fuses pop and lyrical elements in a crescendo that flows into techno sounds.

The song's opera-infused genre-blending style has drawn comparisons to "The Code" -- Swiss non-binary vocalist Nemo's 2024 Eurovision victory song in Malmo, Sweden, which gave Switzerland the right to host this year's edition.

P.AbuBaker--SF-PST