TEL AVIV: With a multicolored kimono, clucking sounds and chicken-like dance moves, Israeli singer Netta Barzilai won over audiences with a hit inspired by the #MeToo movement to claim the Eurovision Song Contest.
Now as she sets off on her first European tour the pop star has told AFP in an interview that she aims to pass on a message of empowerment after overcoming her own self doubts.
Her winning song “Toy” became an anthem for others who, like her, have been bullied or made to feel like an outcast.
She has said her childhood was marked by teasing over her body and bouts of bulimia.
“We’re made to feel small in all kinds of situations. I don’t want to feel small anymore,” the 25-year-old said Saturday at her publicist’s apartment in Israel’s economic capital Tel Aviv.
“I want to empower and love, to be empowered and empower others. Because when we send out good energy, it comes back at us and makes the world a better place.”
Her upcoming tour, which begins on November 12, includes venues in Austria, Germany, Switzerland and Britain, as well as a November 17 show at the Salle Wagram in Paris.
Articulate and intense, Barzilai said she applied for a spot representing Israel in 2018’s Eurovision in Lisbon because she was failing to make ends meet as an experimental musician.
“I knew nothing about Eurovision,” she confessed.
Before the contest shook up her life, Barzilai said, she and her band would “be paid in beer and basically jam.”
“I’d get drunk, sing on the tables, eat French fries off people’s plates and sing about them,” she recounted.
“I tried to get a job in music but was too unique to stand behind someone as a backing vocal or to sing in weddings.”
Barzilai’s mother pushed her to leave Tel Aviv and return to their home in central Israeli city Hod Hasharon and her father suggested she learn agronomy and join him in the family business.
In despair, she turned to an Israeli reality singing show, the winner of which would represent the country at Eurovision.
She never expected anything would come of the local exposure beyond maybe “getting gigs.”
But she eventually made it through and took her eccentric look and show to Lisbon, where her victory earned Israel the right to hold the 2019 Eurovision, which will take place in Tel Aviv.
Basking in the “superman powers” she received after her win, Barzilai can now return to Europe as a star with a repertoire blending her Eurovision fame and avant-garde roots.
There have been calls for artists to boycott next year’s Eurovision in Tel Aviv over Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory, but Barzilai doesn’t think a boycott will solve anything.
“Instead of boycotting we should think how we can help, how to improve the situation,” she said.
“Tell me where to sing to solve the world’s problems and I’ll go.”
Unconcerned that the calls to stay away could harm next year’s event, she added: “I think it will be very happy here and those voices are small ones.”
Israel’s Eurovision champ heads to Europe with empowerment message
Israel’s Eurovision champ heads to Europe with empowerment message
- Her winning song “Toy” became an anthem for others who, like her, have been bullied or made to feel like an outcast
- Her upcoming tour, which begins on November 12, includes venues in Austria, Germany, Switzerland and Britain, as well as a November 17 show at the Salle Wagram in Paris
EU must be more assertive with Israel: Ex-foreign policy chief
- Josep Borrell: Europe has been ‘relegated to the sidelines’ in mediating conflict
- Country ‘carrying out the largest ethnic-cleansing operation since end of Second World War’
LONDON: The EU must adopt a more assertive posture against Israel over its violations of international law in Gaza, Josep Borrell, the bloc’s former foreign policy chief, has said.
In an article for Foreign Affairs magazine, Borrell argued that the EU has a “duty” to intervene over the humanitarian catastrophe in the Palestinian enclave, The Guardian reported.
Rather than relying on the US to bring an end to the war, Europe must launch its own plan, he said.
The article was co-authored with Kalypso Nicolaidis, a Franco-Greek academic who has advised the EU.
“Europe can no longer afford to linger at the margin. The EU needs a concerted plan,” the two authors said.
“Not only is Europe’s own security at stake, but more important, European history imposes a duty on Europeans to intervene in response to Israel’s violations of international law.
“Europeans cannot stay the hapless fools in this tragic story, dishing out cash with their eyes closed.”
Borrell’s successor, Kaja Kallas, said last week that it was “very clear” Israel had breached its human rights commitments during its war on Gaza.
However, the “concrete question” remains the choice of action EU member states can agree on in response, she added.
Last month, 17 EU member states, in protest against Israel’s blockade of humanitarian aid to Gaza, triggered a review of the bloc’s association agreement with Israel, which covers trade and other cooperation.
Borrell last month accused Tel Aviv of “carrying out the largest ethnic-cleansing operation since the end of the Second World War.”
Europe’s inconsistent response to the humanitarian crisis can be partly explained by the reluctance of some countries — including Germany, Hungary and Austria — to take action against Israel for historical reasons, Borrell and Nicolaidis wrote.
Yet there are ways for other EU member states to take action without requiring a continent-wide consensus, they said, highlighting the EU’s financial leverage and the utility of European programs for Israel, including the Erasmus student exchange scheme.
EU member states could also invoke Article 20 of the EU’s treaty to “allow for at least nine member states to come together to utilize certain foreign policy tools not related to defense,” they wrote.
“Because such an action has never been taken before, those states would have to explore what (it) … would concretely allow them to do,” the Foreign Affairs article said.
The EU has been rendered ineffective in applying pressure due to disunity, the two authors said, arguing that the bloc should act as a powerful mediator in the Middle East.
“Some EU leaders cautiously backed the International Criminal Court’s investigations, while others, such as Austria and Germany, have declined to implement its arrest warrants against Israeli officials,” they wrote.
“And because EU member states, beginning with Germany and Hungary, could not agree on whether to revisit the union’s trade policy with Israel, the EU continues to be Israel’s largest trading partner.
“As a result, the EU, as a bloc, has been largely relegated to the sidelines, divided internally and overshadowed in ceasefire diplomacy by the US and regional actors such as Egypt and Qatar. Shouldn’t the EU also have acted as a mediator?”
Experts discuss innovations in clinical pharmacy
- Two-day event aimed to showcase innovative solutions to improve healthcare quality and align with global advancements
RIYADH: The International Clinical Pharmacy Ambulatory Care Conference, organized by the Hail Health Cluster, brought together more than 700 healthcare professionals and leading international experts in health and pharmaceutical sciences.
The two-day event aimed to showcase innovative solutions to improve healthcare quality and align with global advancements, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Sunday. It provided a key platform for knowledge sharing and collaboration.
Discussions covered the latest in virtual health, strategies to enhance the patient experience along the medication journey, and future models for expanding pharmacy services.
Conference highlights included research poster presentations featuring innovations and evidence-based practices in clinical pharmacy, the SPA added.
An accompanying exhibition featured cutting-edge technologies and solutions from participating organizations, reinforcing the role of pharmacy in driving primary care innovation.
Najdi doors reflect Kingdom’s craft legacy
Riyadh: The year 2025 has been designated the “Year of Handicrafts” in the Kingdom to reinforce traditional arts and crafts as authentic cultural heritage.
The initiative aims to promote the practice, preservation, documentation and integration of handicrafts into modern life, celebrating a cultural legacy central to national identity, a Saudi Press Agency report said.
It seeks to support artisans, enhance their skills and prevent traditional crafts from disappearing. It emphasizes manual crafts made using simple tools, without modern technology.
Prominent crafts include Sadu weaving, mud building, wood carving, pottery, hand embroidery, and palm frond products such as baskets and mats.
Engraving on doors with Najdi motifs is another traditional art for which the Najd region is renowned, the SPA reported.
Artisan Ali Al-Jasser, known for Najdi door engraving, shared his journey from basic wooden installations to intricate three-dimensional pieces blending tradition with contemporary art.
He noted regional variations — at Najdi in the center, Al-Qatt Al-Asiri in the south, Rawashin in the west, Bab Al-Bahr in the east, and Sadu in the north.
Another artisan, Nouf Al-Suwailim, highlighted that Najdi door engravings were key elements of traditional Najdi architecture, reflecting its cultural and urban identity.
She described the doors’ elegant designs, featuring geometric and floral patterns enhanced by decorative iron nails.
Contest boosts Qur’an apps with tech innovation
- Ayathon brings together programmers, designers, researchers and Islamic scholars to develop digital tools supporting memorization, recitation and reflection on the Qur’an
RIYADH: Ayathon, a Qur’an-focused app development hackathon organized by the Programmers Association, recently concluded in Riyadh.
Abdulaziz Al-Oraij, chairman of the association, described Ayathon as an initiative to use modern technology to serve the Holy Qur’an and improve the digital experience for users worldwide.
He added that Ayathon brings together programmers, designers, researchers and Islamic scholars to develop digital tools supporting memorization, recitation and reflection on the Qur’an.
“It aims to empower Qur’anic communities with interactive tools,” Al-Oraij said.
Mohammed Al-Wadee, chairman of the hackathon’s committee, said the event seeks to improve Qur’anic apps and develop technology that aligns with Islamic values.
He added that the event promotes integrating technologies like artificial intelligence, augmented reality and user experience design into sustainable projects.
Maha Al-Atwi, chair of the technical committee, said Ayathon combines technical creativity and intellectual depth to motivate participants, and enhance results through interdisciplinary collaboration.
She added that using technologies like AI and data analytics helps create digital solutions meeting diverse user needs and offering a quality Qur’anic experience for the digital generation.
The judging panel includes international experts in technology and Islamic studies, ensuring projects are evaluated on innovation, quality and meaningful content, Al-Atwi said.
Saudi students win six medals in math contest
RIYADH: Six Saudi students won six medals at the 29th Junior Balkan Mathematical Olympiad in North Macedonia from June 24 to 29, with 135 students from 23 countries participating.
The Saudi team earned two gold, two silver and two bronze medals, showing their strong performance internationally, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Sunday.
This success follows years of training led by the King Abdulaziz and His Companions Foundation for Giftedness and Creativity, in partnership with the Ministry of Education, aimed at preparing gifted students for global contests.
Team members were chosen through rigorous tests under the National Program for Gifted Identification and trained by local and international experts, the SPA added.
This was Saudi Arabia’s 14th participation in the Olympiad, bringing its total medals to 11 gold, 24 silver and 29 bronze.
In the previous event, Saudi Arabia won one silver and four bronze medals.
The Olympiad, launched in 1997, is held annually for students under 15, with up to six participants per country. It rotates among Balkan countries and Cyprus and is a respected regional mathematics competition.
