Israel’s Eurovision representative told a news conference that during the European competition he experienced hostility from the interviewers. “The amount of anti-Semitism I was exposed to was great. They would say, ‘Oh Israel? We do not want you.'”
Israel’s Eurovision representative, Michael Ben-David, said today (Tuesday) at a press conference that he experiences “anti-Semitism from the international media” during his participation in the European singing competition.
“I do not regret anything,” Ben-David added in response to a Ynet question about being pushed by the judges of the competition with the Israeli flag. “The amount of anti-Semitism I was exposed to during the interviews in Turin was great. They would say, ‘Oh Israel? We do not want you.'”
He added that when he was called to the podium, “I was told they did not want me. The little anti-Semitism remains with you. I saw a full Israeli flag in the audience but no flag was photographed, I say that – any opportunity I have to wave the flag I wave. “Shame and carelessness’ – whoever chooses will love me like this and whoever does not, no.”
Ben-David also referred to the kisses he gave to the facilitators, saying: “Lucky there were kisses with the facilitators and no beatings. I remember after my number we were so happy and danced with the other contestants, and the facilitator told me ‘stay with us’. I said ‘okay, no problem.’ “Wait a minute if I stay I will bring the flag,” and I went in with the flag to the frame, and of course I would kiss them. If I did not have the flag I would not go in. I would go up again with the flag and be proud of it. That is the only thing left for me. ”
On the results and not qualifying for the final, Ben David said: “I am proud of the show I gave. I landed yesterday after a crazy Eurovision experience, in my life I never thought I would go through such an amazing and powerful experience and I was terribly scared, because everyone told me it was not an easy experience. “Until I flew. I do not regret anything.”
“Even in The X Factor I did not have a single second of thought whether I would win or not. I was always focused on performance, I concentrated on creating a number that no one in the country would say he shamed me,” Ben David said. “I feel it was good. It’s a crazy and challenging experience where nothing depends on you – not the song, not the budgets, a piece of production I had no control over. The only thing I had a choice for was a very professional number. I brought 100 percent of everything I got “And everything else I do not mess with.”
A day after the Eurovision final, Ben-David released the song “Not Being Me”. “People told me ‘you flew with the song I.M and then put out a song called’ Not Being Me ‘. The Eurovision song is a song of celebrating that I feel amazing. The new song comes especially now that we have a month of pride. I have the right to write and create together with my partners.”