Amnesty International on Israel at Eurovision: "An act of cowardice and an illustration of blatant double standards"

Amnesty International has called for Israel to be suspended from the Eurovision Song Contest.

"The failure of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) to suspend Israel from Eurovision, as it did with Russia, is an act of cowardice and an illustration of blatant double standards when it comes to Israel", said Amnesty International's Secretary General, Agnès Callamard.

"Instead of sending a clear message that there is a cost for Israel's atrocity crimes against the Palestinian people, the EBU has given Israel this international stage even as it continues to commit genocide in Gaza, unlawful occupation, and apartheid. The EBU is betraying the values of the Eurovision Song Contest, which include freedom from intolerance, hate speech, and discrimination".

Callamard's statement was supported online by United Nations Special Rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories, Francesca Albanese.

 

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The Eurovision semi-finals begin tonight, and despite boycott attempts Israel will participate.

The final round of the contest takes place on May 16, in Austria's capital Vienna this year. It also marks Eurovision's 70th Anniversary.

In April, over 1,000 musicians signed a letter accusing the EBU of hypocrisy over its refusal to allow Russia to participate after its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, and calling on nations to boycott the contest.

"The EBU's hypocritical responses to Russia's and Israel's crimes have removed any illusions of Eurovision's claimed "neutrality", the letter stated.

"Yet more than 30 months of genocide in Gaza - alongside ethnic cleansing and land theft in the besieged West Bank - aren't considered sufficient to apply the same policy to Israel".

No Music for Genocide was the campaign group behind the letter. It was signed by artists such as, Kneecap, Paloma Faith, and Massive Attack.

Last December, Ireland's winning entry in the 1994 Eurovision contest, Charlie McGettigan, said he plans on returning his trophy.

The Ireland-Palestine Solidarity Campaign posted this on his behalf.

 

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RTÉ confirmed in December that, for the the first time in 61 years, it would not broadcast any of the three Eurovision shows this week.

Four other countries, including Iceland, the Netherlands, Slovenia, and Spain have also boycotted the competition over Israeli participation.