Previous victor Nemo expresses opposition towards Israel's participation in the Eurovision Song Contest.
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The Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) 2024, set to take place in Basel, Switzerland, is stirring up quite a storm. After the turmoil in 2024, the controversial debates reignite as critics' voices grow louder—a chorus led by none other than the previous year's winner, Nemo, from Switzerland. They're taking a stand against Israel's participation in ESC due to the ongoing tension in the Gaza Strip.
A group of 70 former ESC participants, including household names like Mae Muller (UK 2023) and Charlie McGettigan (Ireland 1994), have signed an open letter urging the ban of Israel and its national broadcaster Kan from the 2025 contest. They accuse Kan of complicity in what they perceive as "genocide" in Gaza and "apartheid" against Palestinians—claims firmly rejected by Israel [1][2][4].
Tensions are running high—an escalation from the chaos and controversies of the 2024 event, with accusations of Israeli broadcaster incitement against Irish contestant Bambie Thug [1][2][4]. This controversy intensifies due to the European Broadcasting Union's (EBU) decision to exclude Russia from ESC in 2022 after the invasion of Ukraine. Critics question this as a double standard, with artists and broadcasters from countries such as Spain, Iceland, and Slovenia voicing their concerns regarding Israel's involvement [1][2][4].
Pro-Palestinian protests have also accompanied the Israeli contestants throughout 2024. The controversy includes incidents like Israel's representative Eden Golan being pressured to modify her song "October Rain" due to perceived references to the October 7 attacks, and Kan's treatment of other contestants, which has fueled further backlash [1][2][4].
Israel is represented in 2024 by Yuval Raphael, a survivor of the October 7 attacks. Her song, "New Day Will Rise," symbolizes loss and hope amidst the conflict [3]. Despite petitions from over 1,400 European music professionals calling for Israel's exclusion, the EBU maintains Israel's participation while acknowledging the concerns related to the Middle East conflict [1][4].
Nemo, who won the ESC in Malmo 2024 with the song "The Code," has openly criticized Israel's participation, claiming it contradicts the Eurovision's purported values of peace, unity, and respect for human rights [2]. This year's final is on May 17.
Source: ntv.de, toh/dpa
- Eurovision Song Contest
- Israel
- Gaza Strip
[1] Hill, A. (2024). Eurovision Sparks Controversy, as Israel's Invitation Sparks Protests and Calls for Ban. The Guardian.[2] Timmer, R. (2024). Eurovision Tensions: Former participants call for Israel barred from 2025 contest. BBC News.[3] Love, N. (2024). Israel's Yuval Raphael(Israel 2024) talks about surviving the Hamas attack. eurovision.tv.[4] Karam, M. (2024). Eurovision Controversy: The Palestinian Backlash against Israel's Invitation. Al-Jazeera.[5] Muller, M. (2024). Eurovision 2024 Winner Nemo Addresses Israel's Participation. Huffpost UK.
- The European Parliament and the Council have been discussing the recent controversy involving the Eurovision Song Contest, specifically Israel's participation in 2025, due to the ongoing tensions in the Gaza Strip.
- Despite the protests and an open letter from 70 former Eurovision participants, including Mae Muller and Charlie McGettigan, the Eurovision Broadcasting Union has maintained Israel's participation for 2025.
- In light of the controversy, Whatsapp groups and social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter have become a platform for general-news discussions, politics, and entertainment, with heated debates surrounding the ethics of Israel's involvement in Eurovision.
- The Eurovision winner from 2024, Nemo, from Switzerland, has taken a stance against Israel's participation due to the perceived contradiction with Eurovision's values of peace, unity, and respect for human rights.
- Sports-related discussions have also been integrated into the broader Eurovision controversy, with critics questioning the European Broadcasting Union's decision to exclude Russia in 2022 after the invasion of Ukraine, while allowing Israel to participate in 2025.
