Wednesday's decision by the Eurovision organisers to allow Israeli band the Teapacks into the song contest, in spite of their lyrics portending of nuclear war, should have been greeted by Israelis everywhere with concern.
Not because the band is unlikely to win. As far as I know they may be as good/bad if not better/worse than Dana International, the Israeli transsexual who won in 1998. And not because they sing of "crazy rulers" who are "gonna push the button" - widely assumed to be a reference to Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (though this is denied by the band). As far as I'm concerned, if a neighbouring ruler had spoken of a need to wipe my home country off the planet and seemed to be moving towards gathering the nuclear capacity to do so, I'd be scared too.
No, the only reason why Israel should be concerned about the Teapacks' entrance to the Eurovision song contest is that this is a European competition. And by choosing to partake in yet another European event, Israel is making a strong assertion about how it wishes to be viewed by the rest of the world.
Because the fact of the matter is that Israel is not European. Despite a large section of its population originating from Europe, Israel is a Middle Eastern state. Geographically this is the case. Historically this is the case. Politically this is the case. And demographically the Israeli Jews' roots lie in the Middle East, north and east Africa, south and central Asia and Europe, while Israeli Arabs' roots lie in the Middle East. But by entering the Eurovision song contest, as insignificant an act as this may seem, Israel is reaffirming its self-identity as European. Insensitive as it might seem for me to dictate how a nation should perceive itself, particularly one as formative as Israel, it seems a shame that Israel's projected self-image is one that glosses over or ignores the complexity of its constitution. But by choosing to represent itself thus, Israel leaves itself open to a kind of hostility that it wouldn't necessarily face otherwise.
In presenting itself as European state, Israel is resultantly regarded as such by the rest of the world. And in the west's so-called "post-colonial" era, the idea of a European import in the Middle East is, quite rightly, unpalatable. But that is what Israel becomes: a western state; a rich, white import into a region in which it does not belong.
In ascribing to the idea that Israel can somehow be European, in spite of the realities of its condition, Israel misleads the west. If Israel says it is European then people in the west, who have no first-hand experience of Israel, will take the statement at face value. Such people would perhaps be forgiven then for making the ensuing conclusions from this assumption. In short, encouraged by Israel's own self-image, they will overlook the diversity and complexity of the state and perceive it instead as one homogenous group - a rogue, western outpost.
In this way, Israel becomes the symbol of persistent western colonisation. In this "post-colonial" era Israel, for its proud, though spurious, assertion that it is a European state in the Middle East, sets itself up as a justifiable fall guy for all the guilt that westerners feel over their own colonial past. The irony is then that the more Israel identifies itself as European, the more Europeans want nothing to do with it.
In a way, European distaste for Israel's existence actually detracts from the more justified criticism Israel receives for its occupation of Palestinian land beyond the green line. For this colonial enterprise, Israel deserves all the admonishment it gets. And yet Israel's self-presentation as European leaves itself open to the charge that it shouldn't exist at all; that it is a colonial relic that should ultimately be dismantled. And when such misinformed beliefs become tied up in more justified calls for Israeli withdrawal from Palestine, Israel is more inclined to ignore the entire package of demands outright.
Of course, I appreciate why Israel deems itself unable to partake in Middle Eastern football tournaments, sporting events or song contests. The tragedy at the Munich Olympics is testament to the risks Israel faces in competitions taking place in Europe, let alone Middle Eastern ones. It is also understandable that Israel would choose to align itself with Europe when the majority of Middle Eastern states are decidedly unhappy about Israel's existence and have a habit of making life difficult for the Jewish state. Furthermore, Israel's partial European roots mean that this is an identity with which many Israelis will feel comfortable.
But by privileging this national identity over the multitude of others that make up Israel's complex social demographic, what may seem like a comfortable choice in the short term will likely only perpetuate the state's problems in the long run. Entering a song such as Push the Button into Eurovision, with its (perhaps justified) fear of Iran, at once bolsters Israel's European identity while entrenching the division between itself and the Middle East. By privileging a dubious European identity over a more appropriate Middle Eastern one, Israel distances itself yet further from its neighbours and makes dialogue that little bit more difficult. And in unwittingly presenting itself as the last western colony, Israel leaves itself open to the calls for its dissolution, which, understandably, it so greatly fears.