Ιreland: RTÉ is asked to boycott Eurovision 2024 because of Israel’s involvement!
Following the reveal of the participants’ list in Eurovision 2024, several backlash was made regarding Israel’s participation regardless the ongoing war. Along with the petition on Association of Composers and Lyricists of Iceland asking RUV to boycott the contest, RTÉ, the Irish national broadcaster, has also received a petition to withdraw from the contest too.
In fact, RTÉ has received approximately 465 emails calling to “immediately withdraw support and participation in the contest next year, if Israel is permitted to compete”.
According to this petition, in case Ireland participates in the contest alongside with Israel, it means that the nation supports the atrocities currently being carried out by Israel in Palestine.
Moreover, the protestors also state that Israel’s participation is a tool used by the country’s government in order to portray itself as a modern, liberal, forward-thinking state, despite the years of occupation and violence against Palestine.
It is also noted that the protestors are aware that Ireland’s boycott will not bring the end of the atrocities but it will serve as a symbol of solidarity with the Palestinian people, calling the nation to use its voice as to condemn the actions of the Israeli government. Thus, it is similar to the message of solidarity sent by Europe to Ukraine in 2022 during the Russian-Ukrainian war.
The petition of the Association of Composers and Lyricists of Iceland to RÚV
A few days ago the Association of Composers and Lyricists of Iceland opposed the country’s participation in Eurovision 2024 unless Israel is disqualified. Via their petition they stated the following:
The board of FTT, an association of composers and lyricists, calls on RÚV not to participate in Eurovision in 2024 unless Israel is denied participation in the competition on the same grounds as Russia in the last competition. We all have a duty to take a stand against war and the killing of civilians and innocent children. We always have the choice not to put our name to such things, whether we are individuals or state institutions. We owe it to the nations that act with military force to not share with them in an event that is always characterized by joy and optimism.
The reaction of RTÉ and EBU
RTÉ takes into account the petition and the protests but it does not seem that neither RTÉ nor any other EBU member will take action, boycotting the contest. Specifically, an RTÉ’s spokesperson mentions:
RTÉ has always approached the event in the spirit in which it was founded – which is a non-political contest designed to unite audiences and bring people together through a shared love of music and entertainment.
and
RTÉ is not aware of any participating Public Service Broadcaster who is planning to boycott the upcoming Eurovision Song Contest.
Furthermore, EBU responds to the protestors stating that the Union itself serves as an alliance of public service media organizations and hence the Eurovision Song Contest is a competition for broadcasters – not governments.
Regarding Israel’s participation in Eurovision 2024 EBU, via a spokesperson, claims that:
We are a member-led organisation. The governing bodies of the European Broadcasting Union represent the membership.
These bodies have reviewed the participants list and agreed that the Israeli public broadcaster KAN meets all the competition rules and can participate in the Contest next year in Malmö, Sweden, alongside 36 other broadcasters.
Protests against Israel’s participation in Eurovision 2024 are growing in Europe, though this is not the first time. When Tel Aviv hosted the contest in 2019, there were numerous petitions circulated throughout Europe in order to boycott the event, but none were successful.
What do you think? Will any of EBU members decide to boycott the 68th Eurovision Song Contest? Stay tuned to EurovisionFun for all news!
Photo: Andreas Papayiannakis
I seem to recall that Russia is barred from International Competition due to its agression in Ukraine.
Israel has in 70 days exceeded the civilian killings , 70% of which are women and children. 25,000 children are orphaned , hundreds are now amputees. In addiotion 90 journalists have been targeted and killed and the population of Gaza is being starved of food and deprived of water food and medicines.Hospitals are destroyed, doctors are killed,, schools are attacked and even when their own hostages unarmed waving white flag were shot by the IDF who mistook then for Palestinian civilians.
Should this nation be allowed to compete at any competion international in the face of such obvious genocide and a refusal to ceasefire…. NO
In WW2 – it was understood that the evil of Nazism needed to be eliminated. No one questioned how many Germans were killed in the process,children , women or men .Now , that same evil needs to disappear from the face of the earth .
Fascinated how these people who claim to be “ woke “ have less awareness than their forefathers who fought the evil of Nazism . People that side with Hamas and a “ cease fire “ are indeed savages that support an obvious form of Nazism (savages ) . They are a disgrace to humanity.
Your are lost!
Wow.
It’s unbelievable how many lies in one comment. B.T.W there was a ceasefire until Oct 6th. And HAMAS brok it.
Learn the facts!!
You are lost
In WW2 – it was understood that the evil of Nazism needed to be eliminated. No one questioned how many Germans were killed in the process,children , women or men .Now , that same evil needs to eradicated from the face of the earth .
Fascinating how these people who claim to be “ woke “ have less awareness than their forefathers who fought the evil of Nazism . People that side with Hamas and a “ cease fire “ are indeed savages that support an obvious form of Nazism (savages ) . They are a disgrace to humanity.
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I am shocked that it is considered inhumane to condemn murders of thousands of men , women and children. The Israeli response to 7 October has been to enact collective punishment on the people of Gaza.
What they are doing is a war crime I condemn them as I do the atrocities of Hamas on 7 October.
To refuse to allow adequate aid , food and water into Gaza is a war crime
To indiscriminately bomb civilians is a war crime
To execute civilians is a war crime
To bomb hospitals is a war crime.
Israel is the subject of a complaint to the ICJ and hopefully they will be censured for these crimes.
In the meantime they continue to kill innocent children by bombs, white phosphorus and starvation.
They are a pariah state and Ireland should share a stage with them at Eurovision .
Russia was prevented by the EBU in 2022 on the grounds it would bring the contest into disrepute.
Is there a different rule for Israel who have killed more people?
Olivia you must get your facts right . Firstly they have thousands of aid trucks sent into Gaza, the problem is Hamas takes this aid for themselves and sells it on to civilians for huge prices . Israel never bombed the hospital, Hamas built their terror tunnels under Hospitals, Schools civilian properties the who of Gaza have these huge terror tunnels underground. Israel has not target civilians, Hamas admitted a couple of weeks ago that many of their Rockets never left Gaza they backfired back into Gaza where they were fired from civilian areas, they fall back killing civilians. Israel was very careful when they entered the hospital avoiding civilians ( which they did. . Israel is the only country at war to phone the enemy thrown down leaflets all in Arabic telling them to leave that area where they are bombing where Hamas are hiding telling the civilians where to move to safety. The IDF do everything possible to avoid civilians. The Hamas health authority admitted they had got the numbers killed wrong surprise surpise the majority killed have been Hamad terrorists, very few civilians.. The Hamas Bobby trapped all the terror tunnels with Hugh explosives, so when the IDF and their Dogs go in they get blown to peices, hundreds of Israeli soldiers and their Dogs have been killed in these tunnels, not only does it kill the soldiers and their Dogs, but the property’s above also are destroyed killing the soldiers and their Dogs also civilians as well. May I point out in the second world war a German plane was returning to Germany had one bomb left , decided to drop that bomb on London that One bomɓ started the intire bombingbofb
Dan & Jonathan, you are probably paid bots but let me tell you that there was never a ceasefire before Oct 7th. There killing, kidnapping, abuse, bombing, stealing of home and land all from the side that you make sound like angels. They are the Nazi because they are committing the same atrocities as them and worse actually.
They have broke so many international laws and human laws that it astonish how people like you two think. It seems that you have been brainwashed a lot when you were kids. Were you taught hate, non-sense hate that you do not have an idea where it comes from? Cause from the information you gave, it is a lot of mirror projection. Go and learn some really history from independent individuals or books, not make up believe.