A group of disabled musicians is excluded from Eurovision in Israel

JERUSALEM (JTA) – The Shalva Band, a group of musicians with various disabilities, did not expect to advance so far in the competition to represent Israel at the Eurovision Song Contest in May.

But they went to the final without knowing if they could have won.

The group has decided to withdraw from "Hakochav Habah", the Keshet network, or "The Next Star" – its winner becomes the entry of Israel in Eurovision, to be held this year in Tel Aviv – rather than to have to perform the Shabbat part of the international competition.

Several members of the group are observers of the Sabbath and Eurovision is holding its latest rehearsals in uniform on Friday night and Saturday, with recording and filming, according to Hadashot News, broadcast on the Keshet network.

Band members said they knew about the rules but were not expecting to progress in the competition, according to the report. Saturday night, the group became the first of four groups to qualify for the final "The Next Star".

Eurovision said the final rehearsals were essential as the performances were filmed and sent to international judges for use in scoring. The contest has a backup copy in case technical problems arise during live performances on Saturday night.

Israeli Culture Minister Miri Regev asked Eurovision to be more flexible, but was rejected.

"The question at stake is not hypothetical, but rather a question of principle, which underlies the very foundations of equal opportunities and genuine acceptance of the concept of diversity that the Eurovision Song Contest proudly symbolizes" , she wrote in a letter to the organizers of Eurovision on Monday. .

Eurovision said it could not make a final decision on how to manage Shalva's band until it was chosen by Israel. The group would have decided to give up rather than spoil the chances of other competitors.

He had turned to the Tzomet Institute, which is helping to create Shabbat bypbad solutions that conform to orthodox Jewish law, or halakha, to explore the possibility of Sabbath-friendly microphones and instruments. The institute would have been reluctant to take over the project because of the "mbadive profanation of Shabbat" that the rehearsals would entail, reported Israel Hayom.

Shalva quickly became a favorite of the public and viewers of "The Next Star". The judges congratulated the group for its professionalism and its pure and pure sound. Candidates advance with the scores of the judges, as well as the vote by mobile phone and online of the spectators.

The group's two main singers – an Indian immigrant and a Frenchman – are blind. One member has Williams syndrome, a developmental disorder; two have Down syndrome; one is visually impaired; and one is a disabled veteran.

Shalva, the Israeli Association for the Care and Inclusion of People with Disabilities, provides services and programs to thousands of people with disabilities, from early childhood to adulthood and their families, including therapies, educational settings, social and recreational activities, family respite.

Last month, Israeli pop star Omer Adam declined the offer to perform at Eurovision in response to the demands of Sabbath work. Adam, 25, is not a religious observer, but makes a point of not working on Shabbos.

Israel won the right to host the Eurovision Song Contest 2019 after singer Netta Barzilai won the contest in May. Israel, which has won the contest four times, will host a third time, after having already organized Eurovision in Jerusalem in 1979 and 1999. Israel has participated in Eurovision 42 times since its first appearance in 1973.