Calls for Israel's Exclusion from Eurovision Amid Ongoing Middle East Conflict
Ireland's national broadcaster, RTÉ, has reached out to the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) to discuss Israel's participation in the upcoming Eurovision Song Contest. This plea stems from a growing outcry among the artistic community, as 72 former contestants have urged that Israel’s public broadcaster, Kan, be excluded from the event scheduled to take place in Basel, Switzerland, from May 13 to 17.
RTÉ's director general, Kevin Bakhurst, expressed his distress at the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, particularly highlighting the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the plight of hostage situations involving Israelis. In his statement, Bakhurst emphasized the importance of maintaining RTÉ’s neutrality while reporting on the war, as well as acknowledging political pressure faced by Kan from the Israeli government.
Israel has participated in the Eurovision Song Contest since 1973, becoming the first nation outside Europe to join. Last year's events in Malmö saw similar calls for Israel's exclusion. The Irish participant at the time, Bambie Thug, was even asked by the EBU to remove Ogham script referencing 'Ceasefire' and 'Freedom for Palestine' from her performance.
This year, Israel will be represented by Yuval Raphael, a survivor of the Hamas massacre that occurred at a music festival on October 7, 2023, where over 1,200 people were killed. Following these attacks, the Israeli military has launched operations in Gaza that have resulted in over 52,000 Palestinian deaths to date.
In an open letter to the EBU, the 72 artists claim that Kan is complicit in what they describe as genocide against Palestinians and the long-standing system of apartheid enforced by Israel against the Palestinian people. They cite specific incidents where Kan journalists purportedly endorsed military actions or celebrated the devastation in Gaza, framing the broadcaster’s participation as a means of using music to obscure grave human rights abuses.
They argue that allowing Kan to partake in Eurovision would create a troubling double standard, especially considering the EBU's decision to ban Russia from the competition since 2022 due to its invasion of Ukraine. Notable signees of the letter include former Eurovision winners such as Portugal's Salvador Sobral, Ireland's Charlie McGettigan, and British singer Mae Muller, alongside performers from various previous contests.
Additionally, six European foreign ministers from Ireland, Iceland, Luxembourg, Norway, Slovenia, and Spain issued a joint statement expressing serious concern over Israeli military strategies in Gaza, urging the need for an immediate cessation of hostilities.
Despite these protests, an EBU spokesperson stated that the organization had not received any formal objections to Kan’s involvement from its members. They acknowledged the serious concerns stemming from the current crisis but reiterated that the Eurovision Song Contest's core mission is to foster connections, diversity, and inclusion through music.
The spokesperson urged that the EBU remains committed to ensuring the contest upholds its positive and inclusive spirit, embodying a vision of the world as it could be, rather than reflecting its current tumultuous reality.
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