EUROPEAN BROADCASTING UNION BANS PALESTINE'S FLAG FROM EUROVISION

European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has banned Palestine's flag as the only among United Nations member and observer states (the only other one in the latter category currently being the Vatican) from the Eurovision Song Contest in Stockholm, Sweden in May 10-14th.

EBU claims that Palestine's flag would be against its rules, but the rules only ban commercial, regional and religious flags or those with political messages - which of course each map of a state is, a political message of its existence and independence.

Palestine's flag was especially mentioned in a "specifically not allowed" ten flags' list which EBU itself claims was not 'exhaustive' - and whose appearance in public EBU has apologized for, but not for its existence; EBU thinks that the banning of flags is not insulting, only mentioning the ban in public is.

Spain has reacted angrily, for domestic political purposes, to the banning of the Basque flag. In its attempt to please oppressive states like Israel EBU has clearly not think very far and has waded in deeper, more troubling waters as it think, as it now has to claim that it would ban for example the flag of Scotland also.

One has to ask would the Swedish organizers really ban the Scottish flag - or for example the flags of autonomous Nordic polities like the Aland Islands and Faroe Islands, of which the former is a Swedish speaking autonomous archipelago of Finland just a few hours ferry travel from Stockholm itself?

EBU is not the only European organization trying to ban Palestine's flag from public; UEFA fines football clubs if Palestine's flag appears among the audience in their matches, refusing to explain why the flag of a FIFA member state is a 'political message' that can't be allowed, unlike the appearance of Israel's flag among audiences of clubs that have historical roots in local Jewish communities, like Ajax or Tottenham.

After being expelled from Asian organizations after 1967 Israel has made its way to membership of various European organizations - including both EBU and UEFA, the latter under the leadership of the now disgraced Michel Platini notoriously allowing Israel to held its U-21 championships in 2013.

SOURCES:

Eurovision bans Crimean Tatar, Kosovo flags alongside ISIL
http://www.middleeasteye.net/…/palestinian-islamic-state-fl…

Palestinian Flag Banned From Eurovision Song Contest
http://www.haaretz.com/world-news/europe/1.717009

Palestinian, Islamic State flags banned at Eurovision song contest
http://www.middleeasteye.net/…/palestinian-islamic-state-fl…

Spain furious after Eurovision bans Basque flag alongside Islamic State
http://www.news.com.au/…/n…/b855855cd19c799bb7a49eb02baca2d0

Why Eurovision banned Islamic State and Palestinian flags and the Scottish Saltire
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/…/why-eurovision-banned-islamic…/