Friday, 12 September 2025

Banning Israel From Eurovision?

I am conflicted over the rash of withdrawals from the Eurovision Song Contest if Israel is involved because on the one hand i want to keep Politics and Entertainment separate but on the other you can't treat a nation committing Genocide to be treated like everyone else as if nothing is happening.
The Irish, Spanish, Belgium, Iceland, Slovenia and now Netherlands are saying they will not take part in the contest being held Vienna in May 2026 if Israel appears.
Earlier this year, more than 70 former Eurovision contestants, including ast years winner, signed a letter calling on the organisers to ban Israel and the Eurovision Organisers did try and nudge them out last year by saying they could not sing their original song but then they just wrote another one and ended up performing amidst boos from the audience.
As Spain is one of the big 5 who qualify automatically for the Grand Final each year because their broadcasters make the largest financial contributions to the Eurovision organisation, so that could focus a few minds in the contests HQ and especially if any of the other largest contributors in France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom withdrawal although the UK's Eurovision Committee has so far declined to comment on if they will participate.
The Eurovision, about to celebrate it's 70th anniversary, issued  a statement which said that: 'We understand the concerns and deeply held views around the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. We are still consulting with all EBU Members to gather views on how we manage participation and geopolitical tensions around the Eurovision Song Contest' .
If several more countries were to withdraw from Eurovision it would have serious ramifications for the format of two semi finals and a grand final as well as financial but as Russia has been asked not to bother due to the invasion of Ukraine, it is hard to see how Israel can be allowed to enter.   

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