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JERUSALEM (AP)
The European visual song competition announced on Thursday that next year's competition will be held in Tel Aviv, eliminating some political controversy surrounding Israel's hosting of 2019 games.
The Israeli government initially insisted on holding this popular event in Jerusalem.
But after the rebound in AmericaS.
Recognizing Jerusalem as the capital, and then fearing a boycott, the demands for the world's largest live music event were abandoned.
Eurovision says it chose Tel Aviv, the cultural and commercial center of Israel, instead of Jerusalem and the southern city of Erat, for its "creative and convincing bid ".
"Eurovision is perfect for our city because of its vibrant vitality, innovative spirit, vibrant cultural scene and celebration of freedom, which has received international acclaim, said Ron Hudai, mayor of Tel Aviv.
"We look forward to a happy and uninterrupted event in the spirit of Tel Aviv.
"Israel won the European Visual Award this year for a flashy pop song called" Toy ", created by charismatic, previously unknown singer Netta Barzilai, her unconventional look and iconic chicken dance.
Her victory won Israel the right to host next year's competition.
In Europe, the capital is usually the host.
But Israel believes its capital has not been recognized by the international community.
Hosting the competition in Jerusalem could cause a dilemma for the public broadcaster that formed the European Broadcasting Union, sparking criticism that they will be on the side in Israel
Palestinian conflict. Palestinians
The BDS campaign, which advocates boycott, divestment and sanctions against Israel, calls for a complete boycott if the European visual competition is held in Israel.
Omar balguti, Union of the group
The founder said that Eurovision's decision had dealt a serious blow to Israel's "illegal sovereignty claim" to the city, "and called for a boycott of the Tel Aviv incident" because Israeli apartheid should not be as usual.
"Israel occupied East Jerusalem in 1967 Middle East wars and annexed the region, a move that the international community did not recognize.
Israel sees the entire city as its capital, while the Palestinians see east Jerusalem as the capital of a future country.
Israel held a European visual competition in Jerusalem, which had previously won, most recently in 1999.
Israel's outspoken Minister of Culture and Sports, Miri Regev, who once again lobbied hard for Jerusalem, said that Israel and anyone else should not decide where the event was held.
She suggested that if Jerusalem was not chosen, Israel would not host a European vision at all.
But after Argentina's national football team was left out in an exhibition match in the city earlier this year, Israel gave up its insistence.
Fear of being accused of politicizing this feeling
It is a good thing that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanya has said the government will not intervene.
Israel's internal cultural war has also penetrated into European visual performances,
Members of the Orthodox Church of the Orthodox coalition government urged the government to prevent the Sabbath from being violated.
The ending usually takes place on Saturday night, shortly after the end of the Sabbath day, which means that the preparation of the show may violate the sacred day.
By choosing Tel Aviv, Eurovision seems to have made a safer bet.
The seaside city is an international tourist destination, more connected to vibrant nightlife than politics.
It has Israel's most avid European visual fan base.
The Rabin Square in front of Tel Aviv's town hall was overwhelmed by fans, and some jumped into the public fountain in a big swing, after balzeli announced the championship this year in Portugal.
The Town Hall building was lit up with the spelling "toys" and all the electronic signs of the city congratulated her.
Tel Aviv, which hosted the event for the first time, said it expects about 20,000 visitors to arrive and is expected to receive 100 million NIS direct income from gay campers
Friendly scene.
The European Conference said that the semi-finals will be held in Tel Aviv on May 14, and the finals will be held on May 18 after the 16 th.
The European visual organization has provided some cultural touchstones for Israel.
"Hallelujah" became the country's unofficial national anthem after winning a match for Israel in late 1970, and dana International won the championship in 1998 with "Diva, became a national hero and a global icon for transgender people.
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