Four European countries have joined forces in a bold move to boycott next year's Eurovision Song Contest over Israel's inclusion. Ireland, Spain, the Netherlands, and Slovenia have all announced that they will not participate in the 70th edition of the event held in Vienna, citing concerns over Israel's participation as a major reason.
The decision comes after the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) confirmed earlier this week that it would not hold a vote on whether to exclude Israel from the competition. The EBU argued that its members had shown "clear support for reforms" aimed at reinforcing trust and protecting the contest's neutrality, which many see as a thinly veiled attempt to allow Israel to participate despite widespread criticism.
Critics of Israel's inclusion point to the country's involvement in the ongoing conflict in Gaza, where thousands have lost their lives. Many have also accused Israel of using its participation in Eurovision to promote itself and boost its international image at the expense of others.
The Dutch broadcaster AVROTROS was among those that publicly opposed Israel's participation, stating that it could not be reconciled with the public values of its organization under current circumstances. The country had accused Israel of "proven interference" in last year's contest and noted its serious violation of press freedom during the Gaza war.
Ireland has taken a similar stance, citing the "appalling loss of lives in Gaza and humanitarian crisis" as the reason for its boycott. Slovenia has also joined the list, stating that it is doing so on behalf of the 20,000 children who died in Gaza.
The Spanish public broadcaster RTVE has also announced that it will not participate in the contest, stating that the situation in Gaza, despite a ceasefire and approval of the peace process, makes it increasingly difficult to keep Eurovision a neutral cultural event.
However, not all countries share this view. Germany has stated that it would not take part if Israel were barred from the competition, with Culture Minister Wolfram Weimer arguing that "Israel belongs in the Eurovision Song Contest."
Israeli President Isaac Herzog welcomed the EBU announcement, saying that his country deserves to be represented on every stage around the world despite facing a global smear campaign.
The decision comes after the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) confirmed earlier this week that it would not hold a vote on whether to exclude Israel from the competition. The EBU argued that its members had shown "clear support for reforms" aimed at reinforcing trust and protecting the contest's neutrality, which many see as a thinly veiled attempt to allow Israel to participate despite widespread criticism.
Critics of Israel's inclusion point to the country's involvement in the ongoing conflict in Gaza, where thousands have lost their lives. Many have also accused Israel of using its participation in Eurovision to promote itself and boost its international image at the expense of others.
The Dutch broadcaster AVROTROS was among those that publicly opposed Israel's participation, stating that it could not be reconciled with the public values of its organization under current circumstances. The country had accused Israel of "proven interference" in last year's contest and noted its serious violation of press freedom during the Gaza war.
Ireland has taken a similar stance, citing the "appalling loss of lives in Gaza and humanitarian crisis" as the reason for its boycott. Slovenia has also joined the list, stating that it is doing so on behalf of the 20,000 children who died in Gaza.
The Spanish public broadcaster RTVE has also announced that it will not participate in the contest, stating that the situation in Gaza, despite a ceasefire and approval of the peace process, makes it increasingly difficult to keep Eurovision a neutral cultural event.
However, not all countries share this view. Germany has stated that it would not take part if Israel were barred from the competition, with Culture Minister Wolfram Weimer arguing that "Israel belongs in the Eurovision Song Contest."
Israeli President Isaac Herzog welcomed the EBU announcement, saying that his country deserves to be represented on every stage around the world despite facing a global smear campaign.
i feel bad for gaza, 20k kids lost their lives and we're still debating about eurovision 
i think it's time for us to take a stand and put politics aside for once... but i get why ppl are upset - israel's actions in gaza have been super concerning. i'm also kinda curious how ebu thinks they can just sweep this under the rug 
can't we all just agree that everyone deserves respect, regardless of our differences? 
, it's like how can they even do this?! I mean I get why some people are upset about Israel's inclusion in Eurovision (seriously though 20k kids die in Gaza?!), but boycotting the whole thing just seems so extreme 
. Germany is literally saying that Israel should be included no matter what?! Like, don't they care about the controversy? It's like they're not even listening to anyone's concerns 
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it's like they're more worried about being PC than actually doing what's right.
! The Dutch broadcaster was totally right to speak out against Israel's interference in the contest last year - it's not cool that they're using their platform to boost their image at others' expense. And let's be real, the situation in Gaza is super serious and doesn't deserve to be ignored 
. Germany thinks Israel should be allowed to participate even if others aren't? Like, no way, dude 
. It's all about accountability and respecting the values of the contest. The EBU might say it's showing support for reforms but let's see how that plays out in practice 
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instead of gettin all heated and dividing ourselves over politics?
plus, isn't the whole point of eurovision to promote unity through music? 
? also, germany's stance on this is kinda interesting... its like, do they really think israel deserves a free pass just because? 
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. But at the same time, it's kinda sad that some people think Israel can just use Eurovision to boost its image without being held accountable for its actions 
. And Germany's like "but Israel belongs in Eurovision"? Like, what about the Palestinian perspective? 
. Eurovision's supposed to be about showcasing music from different countries, but now it seems like it's become a pawn in the whole Israel-Gaza conflict saga 
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