Re: CHAT: The EU expands (was Re: THEORY/CHAT: Talmy, Jackendoff and Matchboxes)

On May 3, 2004, at 2:12 AM, Javier BF wrote:
>> I'll be interesting if/when Israel
>> (and perhaps Lebanon) joins and both Hebrew and Arabic become
>> official.
>
> I've never understood what is the logic of having Israel
> in Eurovision, given that Israel is definitely not in Europe.
>

Reasons for Israel being in Eurovision:

1. It's not like the rest of the Middle East is going to let them into
any of their local international competitions.
2. Singing in Modern Israeli Hebrew is almost like singing in that
Belgian conlang.
3. MACCABI TEL AVIV EUROLEAGUE BASKETBALL CHAMPIONS!!!!!

;-)

Although personally i think neither Israel nor Lebanon should ever join
the EU.  Song contests, sports leagues, fine, but EU stuff is seriously
regional politics.

In a certain conuniverse that inhabits a certain related listserv, this
isn't a problem... although it begs the question, what championship did
*Maqquabbi *Japo-Granda just win?


-Stephen (Steg)
  "your closeness, and the closeness of the sea,
   have snatched away my sleep..."
      ~ 'bo'i kala' and rokbeigalmki song based on it