Eurovision 2024: Mass calls for boycott of Eurovision!
The final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 is just under six months away. After Loreen‘s victory with the song “Tattoo” last May, the competition will take place in Malmö.
Israel as part of Eurovision Song Contest
Israel has been a part of Eurovision since 1973 and has won the contest four times. They are not the only non-European country participating. Australia and Armenia are examples of recurring non-European participants. Countries such as Lebanon, Egypt and Jordan also have the opportunity to compete but have chosen not to do so. Non-European countries have the opportunity to participate due to their membership of the EBU.
Despite the fact that Belarus and Russia are located in Europe, they cannot participate in Eurovision today as they are excluded from the EBU.
Activists call for a boycott of Eurovision
Now, several campaigns are underway on social media calling for a boycott of Eurovision, due to the participation of Israel. Ida Helene Benonisen is a Norwegian activist who fights for the rights of the Sámi and LGBTQ people.
“I think there is a double standard in excluding Russia while allowing Israel to continue to participate in the competition, despite the fact that they are violating international law – something even the UN has pointed out. Europe should show that we do not support their actions.”
In a post that has received a quarter of a million views on Tiktok, she explains how member states can be urged to refrain from sending entries to the competition if Israel participates:
“During my time at the Norwegian MGP in the before Eurovision 2022, I realised that the member states’ threat not to participate if Russia was involved, played a crucial role in the decision to exclude Russia from the competition”
Controversies surrounding Israel’s participation in Eurovision
The last time Malmö hosted the music competition, in 2013, the chairman of the Left Party in Malmö wanted to ban Israel from participating. At the same time, the Israeli embassy appealed to the city of Malmö to increase security after the violent riots that occurred in 2009 in reaction to the tennis match between Israel and Sweden in Malmö. After the music competition, the Israeli delegates reported that they were subjected to anti-Semitic threats. In 2016, the Palestinian flag was banned from the music competition. In 2019, the Icelandic entry was fined after displaying a Palestinian banner during the competition in Tel Aviv, Israel.
What will happen in Malmö next May?
The EBU has still not given a final decision on which countries will participate in Malmö next year, but the plan right now is for Israel to participate as usual.
Karin Karlsson is the City of Malmö‘s overall project manager for the Eurovision Song Contest. She had the same role in 2013.
“In 2013, we took safety into account. But in 2024, it’s a much more complex security situation. It’s an issue we work on every day.”
Karin Karlsson emphasizes that it is not the City of Malmö that decides who can compete, but that all countries that compete are welcome to Malmö. At the same time, there should be room for democratic protests, if desired.
“There are many forces that want to create a nice folk festival here in Malmö. At the same time, we are a democracy and it is important to show that.”
The Eurovision Song Contest 2024 is organized in collaboration with the city of Malmö and will be broadcast from Malmö Arena on Tuesday 7 May (semi-final 1), Thursday 9 May (semi-final 2) and Saturday 11 May (final).
Source: Helsingborgs Dagblad
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Seriously, if they boycott Israel, they will have to boycott Azerbaijan, Great Britain, France, Portugal, Denmark and many other countries
I agree it’s double standards banning Russia and not Israel. I for one will no longer watch Eurovision. Israel are causing crimes against humanity to which they condemned Germany many years ago.
It is outrageous that most people ate completely ignorant and blinded to facts because of Anti semetism.
Do you really know your history and were the Palastinians came from, or the adopted name they have given themselves.
There is no excuse for extreme ignorance.
Yes, Israeli Zionists occupied Palestinian lands and committed atrocities in the Nakba, the Hamas attack is being used as an excuse to finally ethnically cleanse Gaza #banisrael
Ida, just to let you know , as you fight for gay rights , that Hamas and most of the Arab countries in the region would arrest you if you tried to promote gay rights there. Israel is the only country in the region that allows and promotes gay rights. Just remember that when you next curse Israel. And also remember who started this conflict.
Don’t you think if your country was bombed and occupied for 75 years, its gay rights movements may have suffered as well?
People’s humanity isn’t conditional. Since when is “some citizens are homophobic” a good excuse for a genocide?
Apart from Cyprus, you mean? The other two-state crisis in the Middle East that continues to expand and develop its LGBTQ+ rights, and the place that Israelis fly to to get married because Israel won’t let them marry outside of their faith. You want to preach about equality and equal rights when Israel doesn’t even offer the most basic part of marriage equality, let alone marriage equality for LGBTQ+ people.
Beyond that, this idea that because Israel is somehow ‘the most’ gay friendly place in the region (which isn’t true) is a total lie. Israel has literally blackmailed gay Palestinian men and threatened to out them. Furthermore, bigotry is still rampant there, as I’ve learned first hand. What Israel has is one or two good Pride parties for tourists to look at, not any sort of equality under the law or in its society.
Finally, let’s not forget that for most countries, the gay rights movement has only been able to achieve so much in the last decade and a half, and that is entirely to do with the fact that the internet has allowed for queer visibility to flourish and for activists to coordinate globally. That Palestine is currently a bit behind isn’t a surprise, given what they’re going through. Maybe if they weren’t being bombed, starved, arrested, forcibly displaced, and generally terrorised, they’d be able to use their time to campaign for other causes other than the baseline of survival and global recognition of their suffering and ordeal. So if you REALLY cared about Palestinian queer rights (which I suspect you don’t), then you’d campaign for Israel to stop destroying their infrastructure every chance it gets so that they can actually continue developing as a nation.
Someone please tell her that if you are an LGBTQ in Gaza you are most likely to be hanged from a building rooftop and someone can inform her that Israel does not commit war crimes and Hamas and the Palestinian people have committed crimes against HUMANITY and Israel is only defending itself
Israel can’t “pink wash” the contest. They need to be banned, they are committing genocide of an entire population.
Eurovision is coming to an soon.
Every year there’s always issues.. Political. Wars… Blah blah blah.
Sad really… Been a fan for over 40 years. But realistically….. Last couple of years it’s really deteriorating rapidly..
Not enjoyable anymore
Cheerio
Israel should be definitely be banned from Eurovision.