Icelandic band Hatari finished in 10th place at Eurovision 2019 with their song ‘Hatrid Mun Sigra’. With 232 points, this gave Iceland their best result this decade, but their appearance was not without controversy. The group who were quite vocal about their political opinions regarding the Middle Eastern conflict in the lead up to the Contest, unfurled a Palestinian flag when their televote total was unveiled on Saturday night. This action led to audible boos in the Israeli arena and saw security staff attempt to remove the flag from them.
Hatari have wasted no time in releasing new material. Their latest song ‘Klefi / Samed’ sees them team up with Palestinian singer Bashar Murad. The song’s title ‘Klefi’ is the Icelandic word for cell and undoubtedly refers to the Israeli occupation of Palestine and the restrictions placed upon the majority Muslim inhabited region. On the track Bashar Murad, who himself is a gay Muslim from Palestine, sings the lyrics ‘I’m steadfast, won’t bow down/I’m worthy, I won’t be erased’, further referencing Israeli treatment of Palestinians. The band along with Bashar proudly fly the Palestinian flag throughout the music video. Check it out at let us know what you think!
Eurovision NI 