The broadcast climaxed with an actual explosion. IRIB IRINN serves the ayatollah regime but has hemorrhaged credibility within the republic, with ratings suffering lately. Monday afternoon, mid-propaganda monologue, a heavy bomb struck the presenter directly. Israeli Air Force ordnance found its target, sending the anchor scrambling from the studio. The feed remained active. Subsequently, they transmitted live footage of their facility engulfed in flames. A bloodied correspondent positioned himself at the building's entrance, vowing retaliation. Now that generates viewership, doesn't it?

The Israeli interview survival manual

During peacetime, ordinary citizens never find themselves broadcasting live to the nation. But when warfare invades our neighborhoods, anyone becomes a potential survivor interview candidate at strike locations.

Here's essential preparation before facing television reporters stationed outside your damaged residence, asking insensitively: What did you experience? What sounds did you hear? What did you witness? How did you escape?

What to wear? Anyone dashing to safe rooms in underwear, braless, shoeless, or sporting embarrassing threadbare clothing should reconsider. Would you want cameras capturing you after hastily evacuating your apartment when a reporter intercepts you among the debris with a helmet and intrusive questions?

Numerous missile survivors emerge in sleepwear, clutching pets or small children, hearts pounding and thoughts scattered. Precisely then, when microphones thrust toward spontaneous interviewees, peak performance becomes essential.

What to say? We heard tremendous booming. Serious trembling. Glass exploded everywhere. Descriptions typically echo each other. Some emphasize civic duty, stating "follow official guidance, remain in shelters," while others attempt elevated, dignified speech for television, and still others project casualness, relatability, or levity.

"I opened the door – no house remained. I declared, 'Hotel time now,'" quipped a Petah Tikva resident. "Look, we made the news," another celebrated, summoning neighbors to participate. Some choose brevity – delivering one statement before departing. Others weave in viral moments like "I survived needing the bathroom," or "blame the leftists."

How to behave? Standing out among countless interviewees requires showmanship. Consider inviting cameras for guided destruction tours. "Here's the devastation. This Rabbi Kanievsky photograph survived intact – divine protection," declared Monday's survivor.

Essentially, capturing attention means channeling Lihi Griner. When her apartment disintegrated from missile impact, the celebrity welcomed Channel 13 news crew for a property damage assessment. Within her limited airtime, the seasoned celebrity deployed every attention-grabbing technique available.

"Some cleanup happened, unfortunately, I could have staged quite a performance," she acknowledged while still delivering spectacle. She employed theatrical speech, heightened drama, and concluded with a bedroom presentation, "Notice my sleeping quarters. Glass everywhere. This punctured my mattress. Pure horror film. My neighbors died. Such audacity, what do Iranians want from civilians? What wrong did I commit against them?"

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For a joke, 50 years is almost an eternity. A good joke's shelf life is usually limited by time or place. What was once considered funny might be offensive and embarrassing to future generations. "In Memoriam" – that's what "Saturday Night Live" called the segment that compiled some jokes that didn't survive the test of time throughout the show's 50 years. "Even though the characters, the accents... were unquestionably in poor taste, you all laughed at them," actor Tom Hanks clarified to the uncomfortable viewers at home, "so if anyone should be canceled, shouldn't it be you?"

Like a pathetic uncle reminiscing with a chuckle about his wild days before the woke generation changed the rules, "Saturday Night Live" used its 50th-anniversary celebration to remind us how humor can be complex, delicate, and flexible. The edited video collected ethnic stereotypes, sexual harassment, body shaming, homophobia, sexism, pedophilia, and racism. Jokes and sketches that aged very poorly and that would never be broadcast on television today – unless it's a one-time, sarcastic event like, say, SNL's 50th-anniversary celebrations.

Because SNL is an American institution that can get away with anything. It's wild late-night entertainment that has been broadcasting continuously for 50 seasons every Saturday at 11:30 p.m. on NBC. Every comedian dreamed of joining the cast, every celebrity aspired to host it, and every singer, vocalist, and band hoped to be invited to perform there. This week, all of television's who's who gathered in New York to honor this show. They dedicated two and a half hours to remembering, laughing, getting emotional, and mainly – being excited about the number of celebrities who gathered together in that studio to celebrate themselves and the show.

Steve Martin, Robert De Niro, Paul McCartney, Paul Simon, Alec Baldwin, Steven Spielberg, Jerry Seinfeld, Larry David, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Eddie Murphy, Dave Chappelle, Martin Short, Scarlett Johansson, Adam Driver, Kim Kardashian, Miley Cyrus, Peyton Manning, Pete Davidson, Will Ferrell, Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Mike Myers, Tracy Morgan, Adam Sandler, Jason Sudeikis, Kristen Wiig, Ryan Reynolds, Ray Romano, Bill Murray, Cher, Sabrina Carpenter, Keith Richards, Chevy Chase, John Mulaney, Woody Harrelson, Pedro Pascal, Jon Hamm, Chris Rock, Maya Rudolph, Drew Barrymore, Emma Stone, Andy Samberg, Meryl Streep, Jack Nicholson, Aubrey Plaza – and you know what? I'll stop here because it would take me two and a half hours to go through everyone.

Documentary films produced in collaboration with the show were released simultaneously as part of this historic milestone. They reconstruct SNL's generational history, follow the creative process behind the scenes, analyze iconic sketches, and delve into unforgettable performances. The documentaries document, among other things, how hundreds of jokes and dozens of sketches are metaphorically thrown in the trash each week because they weren't good enough.

Only the best make it to the live broadcast. And not everything works and not everything is funny. And it's not just about political correctness, but mainly the fact that SNL doesn't always manage to be funny. Sometimes there are flashes of brilliance, but relative to a comedy show like this – and considering the talent level of the writers and actors – it ultimately produces too many boring or embarrassing minutes, which makes me think: what a waste of potential. So while SNL is an institution, and it's not nice to mock someone who just turned 50, "Saturday Night Live" is probably the most overrated show on television.

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Everyone is crying now, happy tears – that's for sure. Even Arad Nir cried on air when he broadcasted the initial footage of the meeting between the released hostage Noa Argamani and her father. Emotions were overflowing everywhere, affecting even the top presenters. Nir Dvori choked up in the studio, Almog Boker teared up, and so did Yaron Avraham. As a nation, we've recently become accustomed to receiving mainly bad news, so such a rare moment managed to shake even the most composed TV presenters.

"We had the Black Saturday [on Oct. 7], and now this is the joyful Saturday," shouted someone with a flag to the camera at one of the celebration sites reported by the channels. One by one, videos of lifeguards at the beach reporting to sunbathers about the rescue of the four hostages from Gaza flowed onto the screen, and the beachgoers, in swimsuits and with tan lines, cheered.

ערד ניר: "זה רגע שאנחנו כולנו צריכים להתייצב מאחורי צבא ההגנה לישראל ולהגיד - כל הכבוד לצה"ל!"@arad_nir pic.twitter.com/TepsoloTQZ

— החדשות - N12 (@N12News) June 8, 2024

Like an unbelievable Hollywood movie, Almog, Andrey, and Shlomi descended from a military helicopter, surrounded by brave soldiers, raising their hands in the air, with citizens' joyful cheers heard in the background. We searched for it for eight months, and finally, we found it – victory. For half a day, the channel studios broadcast a victory festival; they praised the soldiers, the IDF, the Shin Bet security agency, the police, the intelligence units, and the decision-makers in the government. They cheered, applauded, hugged, and rejoiced. For a few moments, it was easy to suppress the question of where they were on Oct. 7. For one day, suddenly, everyone volunteered to take responsibility. For one day, we were in paradise.

The joy was extraordinary because it reminded us, for a moment, of everything we aspire to be. A country with an all-powerful army that knows everything and is everywhere, with an empathetic prime minister who leaves his house to meet with families of the freed hostages, with systems that work together and aren't busy undermining each other. A country where right-wingers and left-wingers dance together in the streets to "Am Yisrael Chai," an atmosphere of national pride, true unity, and strategic victory, proving to the world that we Jews do not abandon our brothers and sisters. This is the picture of victory. For a few hours, on the joyful Shabbat, we were everything we dream of being as a nation, and how emotional that made us.

דברים שקורים לך רק כשאתה מדווח מאמצע קיבוץ ורק כשאתה @OrHeller : pic.twitter.com/Z901tavTGk

— Tal Shorrer (@TalShorrer) June 8, 2024

The day started much less elegantly. It was another chapter in the saga of "We know something we can't tell you," and all the studio guests played along in this game of hints for about an hour and a half – until the news was cleared for publication.

"If we broke into the broadcast and started reporting gradually, there's probably a reason for this," Yaron Avraham dropped a major hint. Almog Boker added, "You can smile or shed a tear of excitement over what happened in the last few hours, even though we still can't tell. But I ask, don't rely on WhatsApp messages"; and Or Heller tore off the mask and said, "I can really say I'm excited – if I'm allowed to say – by the news that is about to come. We are aware of rumors and publications on WhatsApp, and we urge you to be patient and let those who need to announce it do so."

The law defines the use of inside information (in the context of publicly traded companies) to gain profits as a criminal offense with prison sentences. This is no different from what the commercial channels did - they traded in inside information, which was prohibited from publication at that time for clear reasons - just to inflate their ratings.

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For as long as it has existed, Eurovision has been both a prestigious song contest and a reflection of the global political environment. 

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Although its slogan is "United By Music," the competition is hardly politically neutral, having most recently banned Russia from participating following its invasion of Ukraine. 

Video: Eden Golan pronounced winner of 'HaKokhav HaBa' / Credit: Moshe Ben Simhon

In 2022, Ukraine was chosen winner not because its song was particularly memorable, but due to the war that was brought to its doorstep. It was "Stefania" by Kalush Orchestra, by the way. 

In 2023 too, the stage in Liverpool, which hosted Eurovision for Kyiv, was filled with yellow and blue flags in a gesture of solidarity with Ukraine. So far so good. 

So how does Eurovision reconcile this contradiction? On the one hand, it insists that it is not a political event, on the other, it seems to be most political. So much so that some years, the winner can be predicted ahead of time. Such as Ukraine in 2022, or in 2016 with Jamala's "1944," which evoked the deportation of Crimean Tatars by Josef Stalin in, as the song alludes, 1944 and has been interpreted as a criticism of Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014.

Analysis of voting patterns shows that some friendly countries consistently give each other a higher score. There are usually neighboring countries, with linguistic, ethnic, cultural, historical, and geographical ties, such as Greece and Cyprus, France and Germany, Britain and Ireland, Sweden and Finland. In fact, until 2016 even Russia and Ukraine made sure to give each other high scores.

In 2024, Russia is a leper, certainly in the eyes of Eurovision fans due to its war in Ukraine, discriminatory policies against its LGBTQ community, and nearly non-existent free speech in the press. 

Israel, unfortunately, is not doing much better. One can blame propaganda and antisemitism, but the reality is that until Eurovision, to be held in May, demonstrations are expected to be held to boycott it. As such, Israel's representative this year, Eden Golan, is facing a bigger challenge than any of her predecessors. 

Interestingly, Golan has a connection to Russia as well. In 2015, she competed to represent the country at the Junior Eurovision Song Contest. One wonders whether this too could affect Golan's performance in Sweden. 

Following last year's victory by Loreen, with her pop song "Tattoo," the competition will be held in the country's third largest city, Malmö, between May 7 and 11. The port city lies on the Baltic Sea and is known for its large number of immigrants. Over 25% of its residents are Muslim, many of whom are pro-Palestinian. Eurovision was last held in Malmö in 2013 when Moran Mazor represented Israel. She was eliminated in the semi-finals at a time that too was sensitive: barely half a year had passed after Operation Pillar of Defense. 

Alon Amir, spokesman of the Israeli delegation at the time, recalled, "The situation was very tense. We went to Malmö with six Shin Bet [security agency] agents, and another 30 local police were with us at all times. We couldn't leave the hotel alone. This year it is not unreasonable to assume that the Israeli delegation will not be allowed to leave the hotel at all, except for rehearsals and official events. The security will be very heavy – like we had in 2012 in Baku, Azerbaijan. . There was a real fear of Iranian terrorists carrying out attacks during the competition."

The security team made sure to smuggle Izabo, the group that represented Israel in 2012, wherever needed. In retrospect, their caution was warranted as it turned out that the local police arrested nearly 40 Iranian terrorists and managed to thwart a series of planned attacks. 

In preparation for this year's trip, members of the Israeli delegation are currently formulating an action plan. The Shin Bet is in close contact with the Kan broadcasting corporation regarding all security arrangements, and it is clear that this time the task is more complicated than ever.

If last year there were several demonstrators waving Palestinian flags outside the concert hall in Liverpool, and Noa Kirel's entourage included four Shin Bet agents and two local police officers, this time dozens of security guards are expected to join. 

The size of the security team will be determined according to members of the delegation, including the make-up artist, dresser, hair stylist, dancers, and/or back singers. 

It has already been decided that the delegation will not participate in the various parties and events that will be held in the city. In addition, Golan will also not attend the red carpet (which is actually a turquoise carpet), not only for security reasons but because the event will coincide with Holocaust Remembrance Day. 

Avi Zeikner, the editor of the Hebrew-language website about Eurovision – euromix.com, who intends to fly to Sweden to cover the event as he does every year, said, "Quite a few Israelis want to go to Malmö this year. Due to the security concerns, most of them do not plan to stay in the city, but to stay in Copenhagen and travel to Malmö for the main events. It takes an hour and a half by train. This year, many mass demonstrations against Israel are expected. Another concern is that Golan might be booed when she takes the stage. It's happened in the past, such as with Russia, so that too could be an unpleasant moment."

As for Palestinian flags, they aren't allowed in the Eurovision arena, same with the flags of ISIS, the flag of Nagorno-Karabakh, and Kosovo. Anyone caught waving one of these flags is immediately escorted out of the building. However, there are no guarantees that such an incident won't happen. In 2019, when Israel was hosting Eurovision, members of Iceland's Hatari band raised the Palestinian flag during the live televoting sequence and were fined. 

According to Zikner, "Security at the entrance does check what one carries. For example, you are not allowed to bring in large bags. On the other hand, those who really want to hide a flag can find a way to smuggle it in. If someone raises such a flag in the hall, during a live broadcast, it is possible to change camera angles and find ways to hide. But if a protester decides to go on stage, and this has happened before, then the situation is more problematic. Still, there is a way to handle it and divert the camera until the person is removed."

In the meantime, in order not to add more fuel to the fire, the Foreign Ministry has requested to maintain a low media profile and even ordered the Israeli ambassador to Sweden not to be interviewed in connection with the competition. "Being engaged in this only increases the banter surrounding the event," they said.

Immediately after Eden Golan's victory in "HaKokhav HaBa," full responsibility was transferred to the Kan broadcaster, both in the artistic and procedural aspects as well as in terms of media. At the beginning of next week, the professional committee will meet to select the song. The dozens of songs submitted to the committee were written by experienced artists. Interestingly, Doron Medley, who wrote "Toy" for Netta Barzilai who won Eurovision in 2018 has isolated himself in the Far East this year, declaring that he has no intention of being interviewed.

The committee that will select the song will consist of representatives from Kan, radio and television, prominent figures from Keshet, and representatives from Teddy Productions. The names are confidential, so that they do not influence the members of the committee from the outside, but these are more or less the same people who chose the Israeli song in the previous years. If there is unanimous agreement, the decision will be made that day, otherwise, they will meet once more to decide. The song that will be chosen will be revealed in a festive Kan broadcast on March 11.

"The debate is whether Israel should send some kind of ballad that addresses the war or a rhythmic and empowering song. This is a fundamental and critical question because the audience will respond according to what is chosen," Zeikner said. "If we choose a ballad with a moving message which is the wrong direction in my opinion, because we will try to move those who will never be moved, we will not create sympathy and no one will vote for us. This approach claims that no matter where we end up this year, the main thing is that we sing something Israeli and patriotic. But if we want to get to the finals, and show the world that despite everything no one will break us, it's worth thinking about a rhythmic and empowering song.

"You can't sing about everything. Certain messages cannot be delivered on the Eurovision stage. Georgia, for example, was previously disqualified after trying to send a song called "We Don't Wanna Put In" to the Eurovision Song Contest in Moscow. On the other hand, in 2016, the Ukrainians managed to enter into the competition a song that alluded to the expulsion of the Tatar population from the Crimean peninsula by the Soviet regime, and won.

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"There are rules you cannot break. There are words that are forbidden to sing, you can't sing about commercial brands and you can't sing political songs. The Russians did try to disqualify the song, but the EBU claimed that the Ukrainian song talks about an event from 1944, and it is allowed to sing about past events. It's like Israel was sent to Eurovision in Germany Ofra was seen singing 'Am Yisrael Chai' and the attendants wore yellow (a reference to the Holocaust). It is also political, but that's fine. There are messages that are allowed and there are messages that are not.

"For example, after Operation Cast Lead we sent Ahinoam Nini and Mira Awad with 'There Must be Another Way', which is definitely a political song, but the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was not mentioned in the lyrics, and they did a great service to the State of Israel." 

On the other hand, in the end, they only reached 16th place. Even Teapacks, who sang about the Iranian bomb, or the PingPong band, who sang about peace with Syria, failed to interest the world with their political messages. 

Depending on the message of the song that will be chosen, a lot will be placed on the shoulders of Eden Golan. Israeli media reported Wednesday that Israel's first song pick for Eurovision, titled "October Rain," was rejected by the European Broadcasting Union. The song, referencing the Hamas attack on Israel on Oct. 7, in which 1,200 Israelis, including women and children were killed by terrorists, was reportedly deemed too political.

An alternative song, named "Dancing Forever," too has reportedly been ruled out. 

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Just like with heartburn, no one really pays attention to the International Emmy award until you actually have one. 

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Nevertheless, the fact that the Israeli spy thriller Tehran beat more than 20 contenders to win the Drama Series category is quite an accomplishment. 

No doubt, those in the television industry dream of being awarded the golden statuette. But the question is: How much does it help the series? Turns out, not much. 

Ask the creators of Nevsu, which won an International Emmy for the comedy series in 2018, and they will tell you that the victory did not even help them secure a permanent spot on a broadcaster's program. 

Because what else does such an award provide other than a feeling of accomplishment, appreciation, interviews, and opportunities for those involved? Tehran has already been renewed for a second season. Also, an Emmy does undo the plot's flaws. 

Perhaps it's a good thing that movie critics are not the ones awarding the prize, and all that is left for us to do is wonder how a spy thriller that wasn't even Kan 11's best show this year got this distinction.

Perhaps it is due to the world being overly fond of Israel's conflicts with others. Tensions between Israel and Iran that have been fueled by international media for years seem to intrigue global viewers that are somewhat familiar with the conflict. 

Add to that the passionate love affair between a young Iranian and an Israeli Mossad agent. That part of the plot alone is worth half an Emmy. 

Waltz with Bashir, Beaufort, Prisoners of War, Fauda, and now Tehran. When Israel is not at war, it seems we excel at exporting movies that are based on bloody conflicts with our neighbors. 

If there is one thing that Israel is consistently good at, it's fighting with Arabs. How lovely that the world appreciates this and awards us with prizes for this.

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The alleged gang rape in Eilat fits the bill over the fact that the number 30 – the purported number of men involved in the gruesome case – can be inserted into the headlines. This has classified this case alongside a handful of other shocking sexual assault incidents Israel has seen over the years, including the Cyprus scandal last year, and the 1988 gang-rape of a 14-year-old girl in Kibbutz Shomrat, which stunned the nation.

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Israel is a conservative country and as such, it is rattled to the core by a young girl's tears – but does nothing to change the culture that ostensibly leads to such acts. Israel is plagued by an enabling culture and when that leads to a catastrophe, news panels and pundits on all channels saying the exact same thing.

Everyone is shocked, appalled, horrified, worried, vexed, trying to find sense where there is none, and looking for someone or something to blame.

Channel 13's Chen Lieberman, for example, blamed easy access to pornography; on Channel 12, Kinneret Barashi blamed "parental bankruptcy"; Channel 20's Sarah Beck linked rape with the overall loss of modesty; others blamed the education system, the courts, smartphones and the internet, and Kan 11 anchorpeople Sharon Wechsler and Uri Levy analyzed "evil human acts."

The banal preoccupation with sexual offenses, which lead public conversation only in extraordinary cases, prevents us from overcoming clichés and realizing that this is not a black-or-white issue but rather something far more complex.

But no one seems to think of that. At least Channel 13 didn't, when its weekend news broadcast featured four women discussing "rape culture" while sitting alongside former Haaretz columnist Ari Shavit, who himself was at the center of a sexual misconduct scandal in 2018. Shavit remained silent during the debate, giving only the occasional nod at what was said – and no one said a word about his case.

Every channel sent reporters to Eilat to talk to women on the boardwalk about how they are scared to walk down dark streets, and to hear from youth in general about their fondness for alcohol. But this once again missed the point: Forced sexual acts don't take place only in sleazy boutique hotels or dark alleys. They happen everywhere and in many forms – on the bus, in the gym, in the military, in schools, in a nightclub's bathroom, or in a yeshiva.

Sexual violence is multifaceted. In the vast majority of cases, the victims know their attacker, so having young women in Eilat go on camera to say they're "afraid to walk down dark alleys" misses the point of the message.

These acts are not perpetrated solely by drunken teens and men who can't take "no" for an answer. Both men and women are victimized and both men and women victimize others. Gender and sectorial divisions make for unnecessary generalization.

The TV coverage of the Eilat gang rape case illustrates a missed opportunity to use the sheer ghastliness of this incident to evoke a public conversation on boundaries and the lines between right and wrong.

Reality is confusing and the debate must focus on the nature of consent, not the dry criminal code. After all, the dry criminal code is never rattled – not even by a young girl's tears.

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Israel won the right to host next year's contest after Israeli singer ‎Netta Barzilai won the 2018 Eurovision ‎in Lisbon, Portugal, ‎with her catchy techno-dance tune "Toy." ‎Every year, the contest is hosted by the country of the previous year's winner, usually in the capital city.

A source at the Kan Public Broadcasting Corporation, ‎which is scheduled to air next year's contest, told ‎Israel Hayom Wednesday that the EBU "has expressed ‎serious reservations about holding the Eurovision in ‎Jerusalem and has asked the local producers to try ‎and find a venue that is less divisive and ‎politically charged, so as not to cloud the ‎competition."‎

The request is especially jarring as it comes on ‎the heels of the decision by Argentina's national ‎soccer team to cancel its final World Cup warm-up ‎match against Israel following pressure from pro-Palestinian activists.

Israel Hayom has learned that at a meeting between EBU and Kan officials last week, ‎the Europeans made it clear they would prefer Israel to consider a venue other than ‎Jerusalem, so as to avoid political controversy.‎

Under EBU regulations, the capital city of a host country does not automatically ‎host Eurovision, and major cities must compete in a tender for the right ‎to host the popular contest, watched by ‎over 200 million people around the world.‎

To apply, cities must demonstrate they have venues large enough to house the contest, enough ‎hotels to accommodate contestants, an accessible and ‎modern public transportation grid and proximity to ‎an international airport.‎

The selection of the Israeli city to ‎‎host the 2019 Eurovision is expected in July. The contest is slated to air on ‎‎May 25, 2019.‎ ‎

Kan officials are expected to meet with Jerusalem ‎Mayor Nir Barkat and with representatives from Ariel ‎Productions, which the municipality contracts to ‎produce large events, in the coming days to discuss ‎the issue. ‎

Political ramifications aside, hosting ‎Eurovision in Jerusalem would substantially inflate ‎the event's security budget, particularly since May is an especially volatile month in the city. Next year, ‎the holy month of Ramadan begins on May 4, and on ‎May 15 the Palestinian mark Nakba Day, which ‎commemorates the displacement of Palestinian ‎refugees during Israel's 1948 War of Independence.‎

The contest being held on a ‎Saturday is also complicated in Jerusalem, where much of the population is religious and observes Shabbat. Ultra-Orthodox lawmakers have already issued a warning that they will not ‎stand for the "mass desecration of Shabbat." ‎

With municipal elections set for ‎October, it is unclear who will be Jerusalem's next ‎mayor and how the issue will be handled on both the ‎local and national political levels.‎

Commenting on the potential implications with ‎respect to the ultra-Orthodox objections to the contest, ‎a local Eurovision expert told Israel Hayom that ‎‎"hosting the Eurovision song contest in Jerusalem ‎could blow up in our faces. ‎

Addressing the haredi ban on men hearing women sing, the expert said, ‎"Women will be singing in all the events and there will also be an ‎opening gala attended by all the foreign ambassadors ‎and the mayor, where all the contestants will walk ‎down a red carpet in what will likely be provocative ‎and revealing clothing.

‎"This simply isn't in line with the nature of the ‎city. The Eurovision is too big for Jerusalem by ‎several levels."  ‎

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