Pressure is increasing on European broadcasters to boycott Israel's participation in the Eurovision Song Contest due to the war in Gaza.
More than 27,000 people have been killed in Israeli military operations, and more than 66,000 others have been injured since then. Conflict It started, according to GazaHamas-led Ministry of Health. Israel responded after Hamas fighters killed more than 1,000 Israelis and took hundreds hostage in attacks on October 7 last year.
This is the second time that politics has dominated the Eurovision competition, after Russia's expulsion from 2022 competition On its invasion Ukraine. Ukraine went on to win the competition.
Popular Ukrainian rap group Kalush Orchestra has won the 2022 award
Iceland is among the countries considering participating this year. She said she will decide whether or not to participate only once her representative is chosen, with the process starting tonight.
The Icelandic broadcaster, RUV, posted a message on its website, saying: “No decision regarding Iceland’s participation in Eurovision will be made until after the competition has ended, and after consultation with the winner.
“The reason is the criticism that has arisen regarding IsraelParticipation in the competition despite the war in Gaza.”
Iceland's televised selection process, which includes 10 songs and artists, takes one month, and the results are announced on March 2. One of the contestants is Bashar Murad, a Palestinian.
Meanwhile, in Sweden, more than 1,000 musicians – including Dancing On My Own singer Robyn – wrote an open letter to the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) which regulates Eurovision and SVT, the country's host broadcaster, accusing them of “double standards”. .
Putting a mark Russia was earlier excluded from the competitionThe Swedish musicians said it was their “duty” as cultural practitioners “to bring about change and combat artistic washing”.
The letter concluded: “Allowing Israel to participate undermines not only the spirit of competition, but the entire mission of public service. It also sends a signal that governments can commit war crimes without consequences. We therefore appeal to the European Broadcasting Union: exclude Israel from the Eurovision Song Contest.” 2024.”
The competition will be held this year in Malmö, Sweden. Photo: AP/Martin Messner
More than 1,500 artists in Finland also urged their public broadcaster, Yle, to join the European Broadcasting Union's calls to exclude Israel, describing it as a “state committing war crimes.”
The Finnish artists added that a country that “continues its military occupation” should not have “a public stage to burnish its image in the name of music.”
Irish broadcaster RTE also received a petition signed by more than 500 people setting out similar demands.
In Norway last month, semi-naked protesters knelt in the snow in front of the country's public broadcaster NRK to also demand that Israel be excluded from Eurovision.
In Spain, the leader of the left-wing Podemos party, Ione Pillara, called on the Spanish Congress to discuss removing Israel from the competition as part of a “pressure tactic to stop the genocide against the Palestinian people.”
It has registered an illegal motion to request discussion, which if approved would urge the Spanish government to “stand clearly against Israel’s participation in the Eurovision Song Contest.”
The European Broadcasting Union, a member-led organization headed by an executive board, says Eurovision is a non-political event.
He adds that Israel's public broadcaster, KAN, “meets all the rules of the competition and can participate in the competition next year.”
The European Broadcasting Union also said Russia's ban resulted from “continued violations of membership obligations and violations of public media values” by Russian broadcasters. The EBU added that its relationship with KAN is “radically different.”
Olly Alexanderfrom the music law for years and years, He will represent the United Kingdom In this year's competition.
Alexander also took a public stance against Israel I signed an open letter From the LGBTQ+ activist group Voices4London, which has called for a ceasefire in Gaza and for Israel to allow aid into the area.
Olly Alexander. Pic: Millie Turner/Invision/AFP
Noa Kirel, a former soldier in the Israel Defense Forces, represented Israel at the Eurovision contest in Liverpool in 2023, finishing fourth.
This year's competition will be held in Malmö, Sweden after that Lauren won the competition for the second time. The final match will be held on May 11.
