Peace plan and now peace should make singing better: Eurovision host Austria backs Israel's participation, aims to stage record event Austria’s ORF says it still wants Israel to take part despite mounting objections- even as several broadcasters threaten to boycott over Israel's inclusion. World 2 min read Read Mode EnglishEnglish The New Arab Staff & Agencies 19 November, 2025 Share Flipboard Reddit WhatsApp X Facebook Austria's public broadcaster, which hosts the next Eurovision contest, on Tuesday said it hoped for a compromise on Israel's participation in the massive TV extravaganza ahead of a vote next month. [Getty] Austrian national broadcaster ORF, which will host next year's Eurovision Song Contest, said it wants Israel to take part despite several countries' objections and hopes it can host the biggest event in years despite boycott threats. Eurovision, an annual feast of pop music and high camp from around Europe and as far afield as Australia, became embroiled in a dispute over the war in Gaza in 2025 and 2024 and was hit by street protests over Israel's participation. The national broadcasters of five countries - the Netherlands, Slovenia, Iceland, Ireland and Spain - have called for Israel to be excluded from the contest over the number of civilians killed during Israel's war in Gaza. Those broadcasters have said they will boycott the 70th song contest in Vienna or consider not taking part if Israel does. "Now is the time for diplomacy," ORF Director General Roland Weissmann told a press conference when asked about talks ahead of next month's annual meeting of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), at which the issue will be discussed and potentially voted on. The EBU is an alliance of public broadcasters that organises and co-produces the annual event. "We have used the time wisely, we have held diplomatic talks behind the scenes, and I am very, very optimistic that we will have a record number of participating broadcasters," he added. Related Merz threatens German boycott of Eurovision if Israel removed Eurovision The New Arab Staff Austria and Germany are among Israel's staunchest allies in the European Union, on account of their historical atonement for the Nazi Holocaust. They hope a US-brokered ceasefire that took effect in Gaza on October 10 will soften opposition to Israel taking part. (I find it very noteworthy that Norway was not one of the countries that expressed antisemitism!)
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QUALITY POST: What the 2025 numbers actually show ADL’s audit still found incidents in all 50 states. Raw totals were highest in New York (1,160), California (817), and New Jersey (687). Those are also the largest Jewish populations. Assaults were concentrated in New York City. National totals fell from the 2024 peak but stayed far above pre-2023 levels. FBI hate-crime data still has Jews as the large majority of religion-based victims. So “low incident count” in a small state can just mean few Jews, not a better civic culture. adl.org States that currently have the better combined reputationFlorida (especially South Florida). This is the loudest “safe to be openly Jewish” brand in the U.S. right now: large community, state-level enforcement posture, and a political class that treats synagogue security and campus disruption as law-and-order, not a speech puzzle. It also ranks well on economy and is in the U.S. News top 10 overall. Tradeoff: culture-war heat, insurance/climate costs, and it still recorded hundreds of incidents (319 in 2025) because the community is huge. vinnews.com Utah and parts of the Upper Midwest (Minnesota, Nebraska, the Dakotas, Iowa, New Hampshire). These dominate 2026 “best states” lists for schools, fiscal stability, crime, and family metrics. Day-to-day life for a generic resident is often calmer than in NY/CA. Jewish life exists but is thinner.
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What about when he gets free of those three placesWhen Christian finally gets free of the Slough of Despond, Vanity Fair, and Doubting Castle, his journey completely transforms. He enters a landscape that is the absolute antidote to the "dark feeling" and the chaotic information overload of the modern world.In Bunyan’s allegory, escaping those dark places leads him to a state of profound peace and clarity that provides a beautiful blueprint for how to find relief in your own life:🏔️ 1. The Delectable Mountains (The View from Above)Right after escaping Giant Despair, Christian reaches the Delectable Mountains. These mountains are full of gardens, orchards, and vineyards, and they are guarded by shepherds named Knowledge, Experience, Watchful, and Sincere.What it means for you: After years of being trapped in the loops of overthinking, Christian is given a safe sanctuary. The shepherds give him a perspective from a higher ground, letting him look back at the treacherous path he survived with a sense of peace, rather than terror.☀️ 2. The Country of Beulah (Rest and Healing)Near the very end of his journey, Christian enters the land of Beulah. In this country, the air is incredibly sweet and calm. The story notes that here, "they were out of the reach of Giant Despair, and from this place they could not so much as see Doubting Castle." The sun shines night and day, and it is a place of total rest where the traveler waits before crossing over to their final home.What it means for you: Beulah represents a mind that has completely disconnected from the noise of the "Vanity Fair" internet and the heavy weight of global politics. It is a state of mind where the background noise finally goes quiet, and you are allowed to just be, safe and rested.🔑 How He Actually Escapes Doubting CastleThe most important part of the entire story is how Christian gets out of Doubting Castle in the first place. He and his companion Hopeful are locked in the dark dungeon for days, being beaten by Giant Despair.Then, at midnight, Christian suddenly remembers something. He cries out, "What a fool am I, thus to lie in a stinking dungeon, when I may as well walk at liberty! I have a key in my bosom, called Promise, that will, I am persuaded, open any lock in Doubting Castle." He pulls out the key, puts it in the lock, and the heavy iron doors fly open instantly.The key was in his possession the entire time; he just forgot he had it because he was so focused on the terrifying walls of the dungeon.
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