This is what Van der Bellen says after the commotion about JJ's statements on Israel

However, one must distinguish between the "unwavering stance towards the state of Israel" and criticism of the government of Benjamin Netanyahu.

JJ Criticized Israel's Participation in ESC

JJ, whose real name is Johannes Pietsch, had expressed criticism in interviews with Spanish media about Israel's participation in the next Song Contest, which will take place in Austria. He was also disappointed that Russia was excluded from the competition, but not Israel. Both are aggressors. Later, JJ backtracked and apologized if his words were misunderstood. "Although I criticize the Israeli government, I condemn any form of violence against civilians anywhere in the world - whether against Israelis or Palestinians. I will not comment further on this topic."

Van der Bellen Against Generalizations

Van der Bellen clearly spoke out against general judgments, both regarding the state of Israel and against artists. It is essential to support the state of Israel without excluding necessary criticism of government actions, he noted according to media reports: "The behavior of the Netanyahu government, especially in the case of Gaza, is something else."

JJ's statements drew widespread criticism on Thursday. The ORF emphasized in a response that the statements in question were the "private opinion" of the singer, while the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), as the ESC organizer, pointed out that it is an association of many public broadcasters, not governments. They are not immune to global events. It is central to preserve the competition as a "universal event" that promotes connection and diversity through music, the EBU further stated. "It is not our task to draw comparisons between conflicts."

"Disappointing, But Above All Dangerous"

Oskar Deutsch, president of the Jewish Community, described JJ's statements as "disappointing, but above all dangerous." Israel's ambassador to Austria, David Roet, offered a personal meeting with JJ to discuss these topics. "I warmly invite him to visit Israel - I am sure Yuval (Note: Yuval Raphael, Israel's ESC participant and survivor of the Hamas attacks on October 7, 2023) would also be happy to meet him. Sometimes hearing a different perspective can make a big difference." There was also criticism from the political side: "Terror and anti-Semitism have no place in our free, pluralistic society, just as little as sympathies for them," responded Alexander Pröll (ÖVP), State Secretary for the Fight Against Anti-Semitism.

(APA/Red)

This article has been automatically translated, read the original article here.