More than 1,000 Swedish artists have signed an open letter against Israel’s participation in Eurovision 2024. And they are not the only ones. This year’s final will be held in Malmö on May 11
Sweden won the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest, bringing the competition to the country for the seventh time and now among the signatories who criticize Israel’s participation in the “brutal war in Gaza” are pop stars, opera stars and Eurovision veterans.
Their protest is directed at the organizers of Eurovision 2024, the EBU (European Broadcasting Union), who claim that the contest is apolitical.
An argument that does not convince if one considers that the EBU excluded Russia from the competition after attacking Ukraine in 2022 and Belarus a year earlier because of the violation of human rights and freedom of the press, the open letter states.
And they are not the only cases that prove that the Eurovision song contest is anything but apolitical. For example in Tel Aviv in 2019, on the night of the final, the Icelandic band Hatari held a pro-Palestinian banner in front of the camera, causing a disturbance. Icelandic broadcaster RUV was forced to pay 5,000 euro fine to the EBU. That same night, Madonna had an Israeli flag dancer and a Palestinian flag dancer walk up the steps hand in hand during her performance. This was a “message of peace and unity,” the American singer later said, but the EBU didn’t seem thrilled with the idea.
But there are other examples. The British organized Eurovision in 2023 on behalf of Ukraine and they did not seem neutral at all. Liverpool was awash with blue and yellow flags in solidarity with Ukraine over Russia’s war of aggression.
It’s not just Sweden…
From the beginning of the year, however, several voices were heard against Israel’s participation because of the war in Gaza. 1,400 Finnish musicians joined pro-Palestinian artist and activist groups in Finland and signed a resolution calling for Israel’s exclusion from the ESC. Musicians in Iceland had previously reacted in a similar way.
Even in Norway Demonstrators from the organization “Palestine Action Group” gathered in front of the headquarters of the NRK television station in Oslo and demanded the blockade of Israel. In Ireland, a Labor MP publicly called for a boycott of Eurovision if Israel took part. British Eurovision candidate Ollie Alexander has signed a pro-Palestinian manifesto by a queer organization in which the events in Gaza are described as an “escalation of the Israeli apartheid regime”. A wording that caused the wrath of the Israeli embassy in London.
Preparations at Malmö, Sweden however, they continue as normal for the preparation of the song contest. At the same time, however, many in Israel are questioning whether it is right for the country to participate when the war continues and so many people are being held hostage.
Source :Skai
I am Frederick Tuttle, who works in 247 News Agency as an author and mostly cover entertainment news. I have worked in this industry for 10 years and have gained a lot of experience. I am a very hard worker and always strive to get the best out of my work. I am also very passionate about my work and always try to keep up with the latest news and trends.