WATCH: Palestinians ‘Dare to Dream’ as Eurovision event in Israel nears

Activestills By Activestills May 10, 2019 | Edit

This year’s Eurovision slogan is ‘Dare to Dream.’ Activestills asked Palestinians what their dreams are.

Israel will be hosting the Eurovision Song Contest this year, with some 200 million people expected to watch from around the world. The event, which will take place from May 14 to May 18 in Tel Aviv, falls around Nakba Day, during which Palestinians remember the hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who were expelled and fled, and over 500 villages that were destroyed, in the 1948 war.

In a play on the competition’s slogan for this year, “Dare to Dream,” Activestills asked Palestinians in East Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza about their life and dreams while living under Israeli occupation. Some said they dream of becoming swimmers, or ballet dancers; all speakers said they strive to live a normal life, in safety, without oppression.

A second video in the series focuses on the reality of the Israeli occupation and apartheid. It’s introduced as a “postcard” from Palestine — a reference to the short clips that proceed each participating country’s performance.

“Everything they will show you is very far away from the reality we live in Palestine,” says one of the interviewees, on the backdrop of police detaining a Palestinian child, then right wing protestors assaulting a cameraman.

Other scenes include the demolition of a Palestinian home, Palestinians waiting in long lines at a checkpoint, and a bulldozer uprooting an olive tree.

“This competition will take place on a confiscated land, whose indigenous owners were expelled from,” says another speaker in the video.

Supporters of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement have called on Eurovision fans to boycott the event, accusing Israel of “artwashing” its occupation of millions of Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza through music.

Activestills

Activestills is a collective of Israeli, Palestinian, and international photographers, united by a conviction that photography is a vehicle for political and social change. We believe in the power of images to shape public attitudes and to raise awareness on issues that are generally absent from public discourse. We view ourselves as part of the struggle against all forms of oppression, racism, and violations of the basic right to freedom. Our images are frequently published by many leading human rights, development, and advocacy agencies, as well as by alternative and leading news media. To stay updated on our latest images, like Activestills on Facebook or visit our Flickr photostream.

End of article module for Members

TEST TEST GAL Our team has been devastated by the horrific events of this latest war. The world is reeling from Israel’s unprecedented onslaught on Gaza, inflicting mass devastation and death upon besieged Palestinians, as well as the atrocious attack and kidnappings by Hamas in Israel on October 7. Our hearts are with all the people and communities facing this violence.    We are in an extraordinarily dangerous era in Israel-Palestine. The bloodshed has reached extreme levels of brutality and threatens to engulf the entire region. Emboldened settlers in the West Bank, backed by the army, are seizing the opportunity to intensify their attacks on Palestinians. The most far-right government in Israel’s history is ramping up its policing of dissent, using the cover of war to silence Palestinian citizens and left-wing Jews who object to its policies.   This escalation has a very clear context, one that +972 has spent the past 14 years covering: Israeli society’s growing racism and militarism, entrenched occupation and apartheid, and a normalized siege on Gaza.   We are well positioned to cover this perilous moment – but we need your help to do it. This terrible period will challenge the humanity of all of those working for a better future in this land. Palestinians and Israelis are already organizing and strategizing to put up the fight of their lives.   Can we count on your support? +972 Magazine is a leading media voice of this movement, a desperately needed platform where Palestinian and Israeli journalists, activists, and thinkers can report on and analyze what is happening, guided by humanism, equality, and justice. Join us.

Make a Donation