Eurovision, Israel and the politics of pop music

episode

7am 16 min not yet transcribed

▲ 0

Transcript

This episode hasn't been transcribed yet Upvotes decide what gets transcribed next — 0 so far. Sign in to upvote

Is Labor’s migration plan tackling a real problem or a political one? 18 min · 17 Sep 2026

Why is Australia going soft on settler sanctions? 19 min · 16 Sep 2026

A big-tech defector’s AI warning for the world 18 min · 15 Sep 2026

Is another GFC brewing? 18 min · 14 Sep 2026

Something is seriously wrong in the Northern Territory 18 min · 13 Sep 2026

All episodes from 7am →

Report any issue

Source

Recorded17 May 2026

Publisheromnycontent.com ↗

Handlerec:18469696

Show notes

Over the weekend, Eurovision got a feel-good ending. Bulgaria won the contest for the very first time with their infectious song Bangaranga. And Australia came close - with Delta Goodrem placing 4th. But the controversy over Israel didn’t go away. Israeli singer Noam Bettan finished second, after getting a huge huge public vote – despite protests outside the contest, boycotts from five countries, and warnings over the Israeli broadcaster KAN running a campaign telling people to vote ten times. Eurovision insists it’s a non-political contest... but over the past three years, Israel’s place in it has exposed how political that stage can be – and how useful it can be for a government trying to shape how the world sees it. Today, author of Eurovision!: A History of Modern Europe Through the World’s Greatest Song Contest, Chris West, on the boycott, the vote, and how Israel turned the world’s biggest song contest into a soft-power campaign. If you enjoy 7am, the best way you can support us is by making a contribution at 7ampodcast.com.au/support. And Eurovision audio is courtesy of SBS. Socials: Stay in touch with us on Instagram Guest: Author of Eurovision!: A History of Modern Europe Through the World's Greatest Song Contest, Chris West. Photo: EPA/HANNIBAL HANSCHKESee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ask this episode

“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.

Transcript

More from 7am