"I'm not sorry I was pushed between the presenters, I experienced antisemitism at the Eurovision Song Contest": Michael Ben David speaks
Israel's representative for Eurovision 2022 came to Israel and told at a press conference about the feelings after the dismissal in the semi-finals, about the anti-Semitism he was exposed to by Eurovision reporters and also explains why he decided to be pushed among the facilitators: "The goal was to see the flag.
Sagi Ben Nun
17/05/2022
Tuesday, 17 May 2022, 12:58 Updated: 13:19
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Michael Ben-David speaks for the first time after the Eurovision Song Contest (Sagi Ben-Nun)
"I am really borderless. I am also rude at times. Sorry if I cried" - says Israel's representative for Eurovision 2022, Michael Ben David, in an interview with Walla!
Culture after not reaching the Eurovision final - and being pushed among the semi-final facilitators.
Ben-David said these things at a press conference on the occasion of the release of a new single.
Michael, were you more disappointed that you did not make it to the finals or the many criticisms against you on the networks and in the media after you were pushed between the presenters?
"It did not disappoint me as it deflected the goal. The goal was not to be pushed and say here, look at me. The goal was to see the flag and see a rising man full of love, and celebrate and rejoice. It's amazing because when the judges told me to stay with us, before they went on air, I said No problem and I wanted to bring the flag. For me to go up without a flag is not interesting. And I did it, and I was happy to do it. Especially because I got a lot of antisemitic reactions from a lot of reporters there, who came and interviewed the contestants, and I felt their desire to disappear. "And it will not happen to me. Even in Israel, before I flew, I was a prominent person."
At the press conference in Turin the presenters did not say that they invited you to the stage, but they said that you probably drank too much.
Were you drunk?
"No. I can tell you that if I were drunk, they probably would not have received kisses from me. So no, what suddenly. Besides I am in my character so great that if I drink then lost to everyone. So it is better that I do not drink."
And if you have already decided to be pushed, why not settle for ten seconds, wave the flag a bit and that's it?
Stuck there for almost two minutes.
"Two minutes? It felt like two seconds to me. I was in adrenaline, more than the other contestants. Because I'm two or three months in the country, I did not know if I was flying or not flying, there would be security or there would be no security. In the end I did it. I represented the country. "I showed us. I did not know I was so Zionist all of a sudden, but I felt there that they did not want to see me. Celebrate. Proportions. We have so many wars here in the country, so proportions."
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The embarrassing moment in which Michael Ben-David is pushed among the Eurovision presenters (Photo: screenshot, here 11)
In the reality of Mi-Tu, forcing a kiss is not the right thing to do.
"Look, I say in my head, a kiss is better than a slap. But again, I'm me and if I cried someone God forbid - millions of apologies. That's my last goal. I'll never go up and say - I'll do harm. On the contrary. "Man. But to tell you that I'm sorry I went up with my flag and wanted to show? I'm not sorry."
Among the many criticisms of you, journalist Lilach Wallach tweeted: "There is nothing like Michael Ben-David's eccentric push to broadcast Eurovision presenters, to illustrate the constant gap where we say of ourselves 'what a warm and charming people we are', and everyone else nods politely and thinks: Bull, Only borderless, self-centered and rude. "
"There's something about it. I'm really borderless. I'm too rude sometimes. Lilac, I'm sorry if I cried you. Tell her I'm sorry."
"If it weren't for this song I would not have flown to the Eurovision Song Contest. Everyone tells me this song was not good, what would happen if you got an amazing song. But guys, this is the format, and this is what I got. Let's deal with what they do. What do we do? I released a single The day after. My friends are waiters and I'm sitting here with you. "
You said in a private conversation to someone that you do not understand what you are singing about.
Not a bit of a problem?
"But I understand what I sang about. It's a song about being allowed to fly over yourself and be full of pride."
Do you think your defeat has anything to do with politics?
"I do not know. I never look for culprits. I can say what I did wrong. This chase will not end. Can say: he was too gay, it was political, he went and kissed the facilitators. But I am proud that I did the "Everything I could. My musicians can not see my face any more than we have worked for hours."
Do you think Kalush Orchestra would have won if its country had not been under Russian invasion?
"I think their performance was not bad at all. Even very beautiful. It's also a very difficult song. You can not say that their performance was not good, and that they 'won because'. But there is no doubt that the audience loves them. The audience voted, loved and gave them - and pity "
The day after his return to Israel, Ben-David released a new single.
If at the Eurovision Song Contest he sang the song "IM" (hereafter, I), now he is releasing the song "Not Being Me", which he wrote and composed with Tal (Talisman) Ben Nun and Gilad (Marco) Markovich.
"I flew with a song called 'IM' that talks about celebrating yourself and flying over yourself. I was most loyal to this song and did my best. Then I wrote an exciting song with my friends Talisman and Marco, called 'Not Being Me'. It's a song that talks about what it's like to be An unusual person, who does not accept you and does not love you and for whatever reason. We all feel this thing. It is a privilege for me to expose myself. There are so many times I get up and do not want to see myself in the mirror, that I hate myself abysmally, and there is all "So much like us who feel it. So my whole truth is out there."
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Michael Ben David
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