Israel files formal complaint over 'antisemitic' Dutch Eurovision parody

Skit on primetime satirical show critical of Israeli policy ‘went too far’ with lyrics invoking Jewish stereotypes about money, Israeli embassy says

Israel’s embassy to the Netherlands has lodged a formal complaint over a parody version of the winning Israeli Eurovision entry, which it said “went too far” by invoking Jewish stereotypes.

The controversial skit aired on Saturday night’s satirical Sanne Wallis de Show, featuring comedian Martine Sandifort dressed up to look like the Israeli singer Netta Barzilai who won the 2018 song contest earlier this month with the song “Toy”.

The lyrics of the song were changed to be critical of Israeli policy while footage of last week’s deadly Gaza border protests in which 60 Palestinians were killed by Israeli troops played in the background.

“Look at me, I am such a sweet country/World leaders eat obediently out of my hand. And I put out all fires with a kiss/We are having a party, wanna come? Soon in the al-Aqsa mosque, which will soon be empty anyway,” Sandifort sang.

“Is your country surrounded by rock throwers? Build walls like Trump himself has wet dreams about/Throw a buk-a-buk, throw a buk rocket/Look how nicely I throw bombs/Yes, again, Israel is winning/Already for 70 years this party has been going on. Look how nice.”

Critics took particular issue with a line which suggested Israel was “cashing in” on the opening of the new US embassy in Jerusalem, claiming the references to money invoked anti-Jewish stereotyping.

The chicken impression in the original song was also changed to money references which translate as, “With your ching-a-ling and your ping-a-ping, with your dollars and cents and your pecunia [finance], your ching, kerching-kerching”.

The Israeli embassy filed an official complaint over the song with the television channel broadcast the video, the Dutch foreign ministry and the country’s Central Jewish Board.

“Freedom of speech, freedom of the press and satire, are important elements of a democratic and pluralistic society, as exists in the Netherlands and Israel,” the complaint reportedly read.

“We cherish and respect these principles, yet in that show you went too far.”

The skit also caused heated debate online, with Dutch and Israeli commenters on Twitter weighing in on what many people saw as antisemitic content.

Dutch broadcasting group BNNVARA said that the song was not critical of the Jewish community, but of Israeli policy.

“In Sanne Wallis the Show, events of the past week are discussed in a satirical manner. Last week Israel winning the Eurovision song contest coincided with a flare-up in the conflict in the Gaza Strip.

“The parody brings Israel’s policy up for discussion and is emphatically not an indictment against the Jewish community.”