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Israel

The tackiest night in Irish television is upon us once more. 

Every year, we send an act to some European capital to sing and dance onstage alongside the rest of the EU in the hopes of taking home the trophy and hosting the same thing the following year in our capital. 

We've won the thing a record-breaking seven times (and three years back-to-back which is INSANE) and although the last few years have seen our luck dissipate, we still enjoy a good Eurovision party every May.

This year, however, isn't like any other.

The 64th edition of the competition is set to take place this Saturday in Tel Aviv, Israel.  

Image result for eurovision

So what exactly is the boycott and why is it happening?  

It centers on Israel's alleged human rights abuses towards the Palestinian people, with Gaza-based Palestinian Artists Association has since accused Israel of using the event to “perpetuate oppression, promote injustice or whitewash a brutal apartheid regime”.

There has been a petition signed by many famous faces who say that by letting Israel host the Eurovision, we are supporting the violation of Palestinian human rights.

Among those who have signed it are band Wolf Alice, Peter Gabriel, Roger Waters while a counter-letter has been penned by Stephen Fry, Sharon Osbourne, Marina Abramovic, and Scooter Braun.

The letter states that ''Spirit of togetherness is under attack by those calling to boycott Eurovision 2019 because it is being held in Israel, subverting the spirit of the contest and turning it from a tool of unity into a weapon of division.''

The crux of the whole thing boils down to the fact that those who are for the competition to go ahead are saying that they are so because the contest is not supposed to be political in any way and they are not performing for politicians.

Instead, they are for putting on a show for the people, the audience, for entertainment and unity.

It will be broadcast by both RTE and BBC and both stations have issued statements to this effect. 

RTE said, ''As a long-running non-political, entertainment event, the Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) is designed to bring audiences and countries together. RTÉ is confident that the European Broadcasting Union and the host broadcaster will take all necessary steps to safeguard the non-political character of the event throughout the organization of the competition.''

BBC meanwhile echoed a similar sentiment.

They said, ''The competition has always supported the values of friendship, inclusion, tolerance, and diversity and we do not believe it would be appropriate to use the BBC’s participation for political reasons. Because of this, we will be taking part in this year’s event. The host country is determined by the rules of the competition, not the BBC.”

The irony here is why their point might be seen as acceptable where the host country is involved in minor conflict or political unease when it comes to the case in Israel, it's not the same.

Rory Cowen of Mrs. Browns' Boys' has been vocal on social media and tv in his support for the contest taking place in Tel Aviv and he tweeted, ''We were there in Russia, in Turkey, in Azerbaijan, in the UK, etc. We went to perform in many countries that were involved in conflicts. It would be discriminatory to single out just one not to go to'' to which he received a reply saying, ''Israel is not involved in a conflict. The Israeli regime is involved in the systematic extermination of the Palestinian people. Quite a different thing altogether.''

Ireland's entrant Sarah McTernan is getting ready to take to the stage for tomorrow nights second semi-final.

The Clare native, who will sing 22, had to hit back at the massive backlash she has gotten for going to Tel Aviv.

She said, ''Everybody has their opinion on the issue, which is totally fine, but we’re about the music, and about spreading the love and the music, and that’s what Eurovision is about. We’re here, and we’re loving it.''

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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There is a really strong for-against that appears to be happening in the media.

Madonna, who is set to perform at the live final this Saturday, is determined to perform despite the loud callings for a boycott.

The numbers are low for fans travelling from Ireland to Tel Aviv – Diarmuid Furlong, president of Ireland’s Eurovision Fan Club confirmed that there would only be 30.

And overall, there will only be 5,000 or so foreign fans in Tel Aviv, much less than hoped for by organisers…these figures speak for themselves.

What will you be doing this Saturday – tuning in or blocking it out?

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Renowned film director Quentin Tarantino has married his fiancée Daniella Pick in an intimate ceremony today in Los Angeles, PEOPLE has reported.

The happy couple have been engaged since July 2017, with Israeli news publication Haaretz being the first to announce the ceremony would be taking place.

The Israeli singer chose fashion designer Dana Harel to designed four white wedding dresses for Pick in the run up to her nuptials.

Pick and Tarantino first met in 2009 when the well-known director was promoting his film Inglorious Basterds in Israel. Pick announced their engagement last year through her Instagram, saying;

"'We're so excited and happy to celebrate our engagement here in ISRAEL," she posted. "Thanks for your kind wishes. We feel truly blessed."

Pick, 35, is the daughter of Svika Pick, an Israeli pop singer.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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Pick shared photos of her lavish bridal shower on her Instagram, with the singer wearing a flower crown and frilly white gown, as well as the classic 'bride-to-be' sash in gold letters. 

The 55-year-old director is scheduled to release Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, his latest offering, in 2019.

The movie centres around the controversial antics of the Manson family murders of 1969, and stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, and Margot Robbie.

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The relationship between Mariah Carey and her billionaire boyf James Packer is certainly moving fast.

Indeed, significantly the couple will today jump on his personal jet, making a journey to Israel.

There, according to TMZ, they will attend together a private “pre-engagement spiritual seminar”.

The spiritual leader organising the event knows James well, and it is said that the businessman trusts him and his advice implicitly. In fact, the Australian father-of-three, who is worth around €5bn, feels the meeting is a must before he asks Mariah to marry him.

However, once today has concluded, it will be very much full steam ahead with a proposal: friends of James, 47, believe that the duo will be engaged – and possibly even married – before the year is out.

They recently enjoyed a sun-drenched holiday in Capri off the west coast of Italy – thus confirming publicly for the first time their union.

Both James and 46-year-old Mariah, a mother-of-two, have been married twice before.

Ms Carey, herself worth some €450m, split from her husband Nick Cannon 18months ago, but their divorce has still to be finalised.

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