Israeli Eurovision contestant told to eschew Galliano dress

JERUSALEM (JTA) — Israel’s contestant in the international Eurovision music contest was barred from wearing a dress by designer John Galliano.

The Israel Broadcasting Authority, which sponsors the Israeli contestant and broadcasts the popular competition, would not allow Moran Mazor to wear the dress that Galliano agreed to design for her.

Mazor said in a recent interview for the Israeli news website Mako that the designer had “accepted the challenge” of designing the dress. 

Galliano lost his job as the top designer at Christian Dior two years ago after being arrested for making anti-Semitic statements at a Paris bar,

Mazor’s agent, Liam Productions, told the Israeli daily Haaretz that Mazor will not wear clothing from Galliano. Yoav Ginai, an IBA official, had sent a memo directing Liam Productions to drop the arrangement with Galliano.

In May, Mazor will travel to Sweden for Eurovision, where she will sing “Rak Bishvilo,” or “Only for Him.”

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