The Austrian broadcaster ORF, which will host next year’s Eurovision Song Contest, said it would not ban viewers from using the Palestinian flag, Reuters reported.
The Austrians also have no plans to silence booing from the audience during Israel’s performance, as they have done in the past.
Only 35 countries will take part in the 70th anniversary contest, the lowest number since 2003. Broadcasters from five countries have withdrawn and announced a boycott of the contest in protest against Israel’s permission to participate in Eurovision.
The event, which was designed to celebrate diversity and pop music, is now embroiled in a diplomatic row, with countries boycotting the event saying
it would be unconscionable to participate in the contest given the number of civilians killed in Gaza.
Eurovision executive producer Michael Kroen told a press conference organised by ORF that all official flags in the world would be allowed, as long as they were legal. He added that nothing would be embellished or avoided, as the task was to show the events as they were. This means that ORF will not silence the disgruntled boos heard from the audience. A spokeswoman for the broadcaster said that no applause recordings or anything similar would be used during these moments.
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