Israeli's song win 'defeats bigotry'

["Christine Burns" <c_burns@email.msn.com>]

>From the Daily Telegraph
http://www.telegraph.co.uk
Monday 11th May, 1998

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Israeli's song win 'defeats bigotry'
By Ohad Gozani in Tel Aviv
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THE Israeli winner of the 1998 Eurovision song contest said yesterday that
her victory represented a defeat for bigotry fuelled by religious
prejudices.

Dana International - a 26-year-old pop singer who underwent a sex change
operation four years ago - called her victory a "gift" for Israel's 50th
anniversary. Her entry Diva edged out Britain, Malta and Holland in the
televised contest held in Birmingham on Saturday.

Ultraorthodox Israeli Jews had protested at her choice to represent the
country in the international event, and a prominent rabbi called her an
"abomination". The singer said her victory showed that all her religious
critics were wrong.

Israel's Education Minister, Yitzhak Levy, a leader of the National
Religious Party, issued a statement praising the Israeli contestants, but
made no specific reference to Dana International. Left-wing politicians 
said
the singer had done the entire nation - and particularly its transgendered
and gay communities - proud.

Rabbi Jonathan Romain, a spokesman for the Reform Synagogues of Great
Britain said yesterday: "Dana International's sexuality is totally
irrelevant to her ability to sing well or perform on behalf of her country;
just as anybody else's sexuality should have no bearing on their
professional life unless it interferes with their work. What is much more
disturbing is hostility directed towards transexuals, who experience a 
major
conflict of identity."

Last night the German rock star, Guildo Horn, was celebrating after it was
disclosed that an error in voting robbed him of seventh place in the
contest. A blunder by the Spanish poll collectors led to the singer missing
out on a vital 12 points. Yesterday the BBC announced that he had been
awarded his rightful seventh position, and Norway's entry had moved down to
eighth.

 Copyright Telegraph Group Limited 1998