United by Genocide: Eurovision boycotted over Israel's participation
Thousands of international artists, hundreds of LGBTQIA+ organisations and artists, dozens of Eurovision screening parties and European politicians call for apartheid Israel’s exclusion
As the Eurovision final opens in Malmö, contest organisers the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) are responsible for the most controversial edition of the competition ever.
Thousands of artists are among those calling for Israel to be excluded over its genocide against 2.3 million Palestinians in Gaza, including from host country Sweden, the UK, Ireland, Portugal, Norway, Belgium, Iceland, the Netherlands, Finland, and elsewhere.
Hundreds of queer and trans individuals and organisations, including artists, activists, pride marches, venues and screening party organisers, have condemned apartheid Israel’s cynical pinkwashing and endorsed the Palestinian call for the boycott of Eurovision.
In host city Malmö, 30+ artists, venues and organisations withdrew from Eurovision Week, the contest’s official pre-parties, including Malmö Pride. Climate justice activist Greta Thunberg joined tens of thousands of people on the streets of Malmö condemning Israel’s genocide.
Week 299. Malmö says NO to genocide! People from all over Sweden are gathering in Malmö this week, where Eurovision is taking place, to protest against Israel’s participation in the competition and to demand a #FreePalestine and #CeasefireNow ! Yesterday we were tens of thousands… pic.twitter.com/nL1wpW1nfy
— Greta Thunberg (@GretaThunberg) May 10, 2024
Progressive parties in Spain, France and Sweden, MEPs, and Belgium’s ministers for culture and media called for Israel to be excluded. Across Europe, presenters, commentators, journalists and others refused to work on Eurovision due to Israel’s participation.
Eurovision screening parties in many cities, including London’s biggest, have been cancelled in response to calls from queer artists and activists, with many replaced with genocide-free alternative Eurovision events. Private parties were also cancelled.
Boycott Eurovision.
Don’t give Israel PR while it commits genocide.
Russia was booted out the contest for a reason.
Israel wasn’t - and the message is: Palestinian life doesn’t matter. pic.twitter.com/7EbLsAmHt0
— Owen Jones (@OwenJones84) May 10, 2024
Many Eurovision fan and news sites are refusing to cover Israel’s participation. Tens of thousands of people in Europe and beyond signed petitions calling for the boycott of the contest. Advertising spots were either not taken, or filled with solidarity messages.
Broadcast of Eurovision song festival on Belgian TV starts like this: "This is a workers union action. We denounce the human rights violations by the state of Israel. Moreover, the state of Israel destroys press freedom. That's why we shortly interrupt this programme.” pic.twitter.com/Pjduadd5W6
— Dr. Sarah Bracke (@SarahABracke) May 9, 2024
Palestinians thank the principled artists, relentless campaigners and millions of people across Europe who joined us in boycotting Eurovision 2024 until organisers ban genocidal Israel, just as they banned Russia, stating that its inclusion “would bring the competition into disrepute”.
By insisting on this colonial double standard, the EBU has only exposed millions of Eurovision fans to Israel’s genocide and underlying regime of settler-colonial apartheid, inadvertently boosting support for holding Israel to account through grassroots BDS campaigns.
We reiterate our call to boycott all future editions of Eurovision until Israel is banned.
