[ad_1]
Nearly 200 million people are expected Saturday to participate in the competition, which will pit singers and groups from different countries during a live final with public vote.
But politics and controversy, as well as security concerns, threatened to conceal competition, especially after a resurgence of violence between militants in Gaza and the Israeli army last week.
The announcement of Madonna's presence as a guest performer prompted opponents of the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories to demand that she rethink her engagement.
But in a statement to CNN, the singer said, "I will never stop playing music to suit the political agenda of someone, nor to denounce human rights violations. man, wherever they are in the world ".
"My heart breaks every time I hear about the innocent lives lost in this region and the violence that is perpetuated so often to meet the political goals of those who benefit from this ancient conflict. pray that we will soon be able to free ourselves from this terrible cycle of destruction and create a new path to peace, "the statement added.
There remains some confusion as to whether Madonna will actually be on stage.
The European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which has overall responsibility for the annual event, said it had not yet completed Madonna's necessary paperwork.
"The EBU can confirm that no final decision has been taken, nor any signed agreement, regarding Madonna's performance at the Eurovision Song Contest 2019," said a spokeswoman for the event. Eurovision at CNN.
But Josh Hantman, a spokesman for Sylvan Adams, the Israeli-Canadian contractor who pays the rating for Madonna's performance, said the financial part of the deal had been settled.
Hantman also said that Madonna was already "on the way" to Israel to participate in Saturday's show.
[ad_2]
Source link