As the situation in Gaza escalates, Israel’s uncertain participation in Eurovision 2015 seems like the country’s smallest problem at the moment. Ultra negative public opinion towards Israel, demonstrations all over Europe and the threat of boycotts are weighing down on all Israelis. Yet there’s one Israeli lady who remains remarkably strong and is keeping her spirits high. Dana International, the country’s first-class Diva and the winner of Eurovision 1998, is ready to tell you all what she thinks about Europe’s reaction to the conflict in Gaza. And she has the guts to do it, just like she had back in 1998 when she became the first transgender singer ever to compete in Eurovision.
Dana International on the Gaza Conflict
Dana gave her opinion about the current situation a few days ago, while she was in the Netherlands to perform at Pride events. After her performance, she sat down with Haim Divon, the Israeli ambassador, and his wife at their home in The Hague. That’s when Dana lashed out at the continent that helped turn her into a global pop star. Initially Dana’s message to Europe seems quite harsh.
“You murdered millions of people through history,” she says. “If we take a look 100 years back…you conquered half of the world! You robbed Africa, you robbed almost half of the world. Belgium took so much gold from Africa and became a rich country. When Belgium gives back all this money back to Africa — only then would the Belgians be allowed to say something about Israel”. And she doesn’t stop with Belgium. “There is not even one country in Europe which can come up with a pure and clean history sheet and judge Israel, so just shut up! Shut up Europeans! Shut up Belgians! Shut up Brits! Go give back Africa’s gold first”.
After that, Dana cools down and becomes milder and friendlier as she tries to explain to foreigners why this conflict is so problematic.
“We Israelis and Palestinians are doing our first steps in becoming a real civilization, a real culture”, she says. “We’re not like Europe, with its centuries of non-stop wars. Now it’s our turn to learn how to be civilized”. She ends with a clear message: “Israel is not Europe. It’s a different mentality. A whole different world. So you’d better stay out of this conflict, because you won’t be able to understand it”.
Israel is really lucky to have Dana as its personal public relations diva. She is loved and adored by millions of Europeans, so she stands a better chance of explaining the Israeli point of view to the world than most Israeli politicians do. And to tell the truth, she’s got more guts than the average politician, too — and surely much more style and charisma!
The Israeli ambassador was thankful to Dana for speaking out, and so were Israelis. But perhaps the guy who filmed her summarized it best with his off-the-record comment during the interview: “They can’t talk like that at the embassy. Thank goodness she can”.
So basically Dana is saying Israel are approx 70-80 years behind the times in the terms of civilisation?! The last HUGE war within civilised Europe was the 1940’s. And with the africa thing, however many years behind?
She’s right, we won’t understand because we aren’t that fucked up anymore. We’ve grown.
How can people love her when she says stuff like that?
Well, it’s not as simple as everyone things. It’s a conflict between too cultures, religions, and will not be easy to finish. But don’t forget one thing: in our days, arabs are the main conflict people around the world: they are killyng in horrendous ways children at curdistan, just because they are christian. So, at this moment, after the twin towers, after Nigeria, after thalibans, after Pakistan, should not be the world, the entire world, erradicating massivally with all the weapons they could radical islam? It’s not the islam, it’s the radical islam… They are crucifying children at Iraq, for… Read more »
Well I don’t think her heart was in the right way, but her message truly is, she might have been a little rude but she is right… not that that makes me happy
“We’re not like Europe, with its centuries of non-stop wars.”
This is a ridiculous comparison. Israel has not had the opportunity to have centuries of non-stop wars due to its having existed as a state only since the 1940s. Furthermore, in all this she’s giving off the message of “we haven’t murdered nearly as many civilians as did Europeans back then, so it’s no big deal.” If there’s someone to be a spokesperson supporting Israel’s war policy, it shouldn’t be Dana.
@franchescka, dont forget that israel ONLY responds to rockets being fired at them. If no one had attacked israel ever israel would not have attacked anyone. It is just simply a fact that the arabs can not behave.
Meanwhile @ Israelfurever we all want to hear what you to have to say, but we can’t understand your English
bravo Dana bravo Israel, how judge the Europe what happened to christian in middle east, today this situation here, tommorow this happened in Europe
And @George: “Actually there are some countries in Europe that have pure history and can judge other countries(like Israel). One of them is Greece, which gave Europe it’s name (Just saying).”
Are you drunk or something? Your history is nothing more but polished history lesson. You did your part of having wars and genocides, even way back then. But to claim that you’re a country with pure history is just nuts. There’s not even one country IN THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD that can say for themselves that. Maybe Iceland. But NO OTHER.
Is she on drugs?
Well that is what happens when you claim something that isn’t yours in this world …. u get booed (boomed in this case) …. Seriously, this issue is totally overwhelming and I really do not think that there is a way that It could be settled other than a territorial compensation for one of those two in another continent ……. Israel should move in in Germany (owned) …. Only thing to do 🙂
@ Deven
I wish Israel will get booed a million times more than Russia.
@ Dar
I don’t get you.
@ george don’t get started on 9/11 .. It was an inside job
Actually there are some countries in Europe that have pure history and can judge other countries(like Israel). One of them is Greece, which gave Europe it’s name (Just saying). Admittedly Europian countrries such as Germany, Britain, Spain and many more that were keeping colonies, treated locals in a very inhuman and cruel way. Much of their wealth today, either they accept it or not, is coming from the violent exploitation of human beings. That’s a fact. So, it’s stupid on behalf of them to judge so easily another countries. So Danna is partially right. However, she can’t use the “guilty”… Read more »
@ Juliana, that’s a stupid example .. I don’t think France is occupying Spanish terriority ..
The simple thing is that Israel is a country that is based on stolen land..
What makes me so frustrated is that Israel has every right to defend itself. It sickens me to think of so many innocent people dying but, Israel needs to do what it can to protect it’s people. Here in Spain, if France sent missles flying at us we’d fight back and I’m sure we’d get global support. I’m not sure why Israel doesn’t deserve the same courtesy.
She didn’t mention Belgium’s bloody genocide on Congo, the mass murdering of dozen millions of Congolese. In fact that wasn’t a joke like Armenian “genocide”
Ok we have our history but what Israel is doing is not better why attack us Europe? Israel also have their history and now they are doing again bad things to people
Have you ever had that when you dramatically change your oppinion about a persone?Cause I’m having it right now!
Oh Arda get a grip. You sound like one of those stupid Americans obsessed with Islamic terrorists .. You fool ..
She’s just mad because we like Conchita more than her. This statement makes me like Conchita even more!
No but seriously, we are all born into this world as free human beings. We shouldn’t be responsible for our ancestor’s actions since we had no power to control them. Instead, we should focus on making the best of today. Dana is digging in the past to defend hideous actions.
I am from Turkey and confirm every words of her. The place where I am living, Istanbul, isn’t a Middle Eastern place but can understand the condition in the Middle East because we have connections with them. We have such a Islamorascist government, and know he’s trying to be our president and wanna take us in to this war. Sunni Islam, is such a dictatoria – there is no words more. They just wanna to kill much more people, it’s all about Islam: it is the religion of crimes. They hate you Europe, also. Israeli people not. They got the… Read more »
It’s now become you can’t have an opinion on Israel otherwise your labeled a anti Semite ..
The fact that another country did something horrible in the past, doesn’t justify what you are doing now ….. Shame on your Israel !!!!
Don’t know why she is having a go at the British .. Her country wouldn’t exist if it wasn’t for them .
You can’t just .. Modern day colonialism ..
Finally… a Wiwibloggs article that talks about a different conflict other than Russia-Ukraine.
Dana is right about every European countries dark history, but in a modern age, when unnecessary fighting over religion, or territory shouldn’t exist, I do not think it is right to kill innocent kids.
And if Isreal isn’t in Europe, like she says, then why did she compete?
I used to respect Dana International, but after that crazy uneducated rant, I really do not anymore.
Belgium and the robbing of gold and diamonds from Africa is just bad example
Is she drunk?
why is she having a go at the brits?