The Eurovision Song Contest wouldn’t be the same without some sort of controvesy, although we have to say the situation surrounding the contestant representing France is particularly nasty.
The very striking and talented openly queer artist Bilal Hassani is an unabashed French patriot who won the right to represent his country with his rather wonderful song ROI. (King). However his parents are Moroccan immigrants to France, and as the Contest takes place in Israel this year, his heritage has become a hot button issue.
Since the 19 year old was chosen he has been attacked by right-wing nationalists who have complained that his not French enough.. Then on the other hand, French North Africans have attacked him because he is a gay Muslim which is unacceptable to them, and if that is not enough he has been accused by pro-Palestinian activists of capitulating to the Zionist cause because he’s coming to sing in Israel.
Things have got so bad , that they had to call on help from the Police and for example all mail to his mother is being carefully screened.
France has not actually won Eurovision since 1977 but they are confident that Hassani can change all that, except a new rumor in the media is hinting at the fact that they may actually withdraw over over an Israeli miniseries called Douze Points (“Twelve Points,” or the top score a competing nation can receive from other participating), which is scheduled to begin airing in May the week of Eurovision.
In a bizarre coincidence, the protagonist of the three-part series, scheduled for more than a year, is a gay, Muslim-French Eurovision contestant who is actually a terrorist from the Islamic State terror group planning a massive on-air attack in Israel. When he arrived in Israel this week to fo some publicity. Hassani denied this and said that whatever happened he would be competing
This is Eurovision after all and they are used to drama both off and on the stage.
