Eurovision bosses double down to defend decision not to boycott Israel over Gaza war
nme.comEurovision organisers have defended their decision not to boycott Israel over the war in Gaza.It comes ahead of the grand final of the Eurovision Song Contest in Malmö, Sweden this Saturday (May 11).There have been several calls to boycott the competition from various countries.
Over 1,000 Swedish artists called for Israel to be banned this year, such as Robyn, Fever Ray, and First Aid Kit, whilst over 1,400 Finnish music industry professionals recently signed a petition to ban the country from taking part in the contest as well.In the buildup to the 2024 edition, individual artists such as Olly Alexander also faced calls to boycott the event.
Alexander, the UK’s entry this year, initially signed a statement last December calling Israel an “apartheid state” and accusing it of genocide.Israel’s entry also proved controversial.
Originally titled ‘October Rain’, the song – performed by Eden Golan – appeared to contain references to the victims of Hamas’ October 7 attacks and was barred from performance due to breaking rules on political neutrality.
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