Boycott Eurovision 2024 over genocidal Israel’s participation
The contest has refused to ban Israel despite its genocide against 2.3 million Palestinians in Gaza
The Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI), a founding member of the BDS movement, calls for the boycott of Eurovision 2024.
We urge all participating broadcasters, national competitors, finalists, production crews, and viewers to boycott the contest following the refusal of the organisers, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), to ban genocidal Israel.
Palestinians call on supporters to launch creative, strategic initiatives that can pressure broadcasters to withdraw, and appeal to all participants to refuse to be complicit in the EBU’s whitewash of apartheid Israel’s genocide against 2.3 million Palestinians in Gaza.
Venues and events organisers planning Eurovision screening parties should refuse to do so, and instead hold Apartheid-Free or Genocide-Free alternative Eurovision events, including teach-ins/workshops/panels about Israel’s cynical pinkwashing and artwashing.
Accountability for Israel’s genocide and apartheid is urgently needed. Providing cultural cover for Israel’s mass slaughter of tens of thousands of Palestinians, almost half of whom are children, would amount to enabling and covering up war crimes and crimes against humanity.
— PACBI - BDS movement (@PACBI) January 25, 2024
PACBI and the Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate had called on Eurovision organisers, the EBU, to ban Israel – just as Russia was banned for its illegal invasion of Ukraine – or face widespread boycotts. The EBU has instead doubled down on its shameful, hypocritical complicity in Israel’s genocide.
Participating in Eurovision for Israel is “a dream, in particular this year, when it has even more meaning.” Since October 2023, Israel has murdered more than 30,000 Palestinians in Gaza, including at least 12,300 children, and injured a further 70,000.
Understanding the contest’s propaganda value, particularly in the time of genocide, the Israeli president Isaac Herzog says, “it’s important for Israel to appear in Eurovision.” At the International Court of Justice, South Africa cited his assertion that Palestinians are “an entire nation out there that is responsible” as evidence of Israel’s genocidal intent.
Apartheid Israel’s Eurovision contestant is clear that appearing in the contest is an important opportunity to artwash Israel’s ongoing genocide – in other words, “to show the whole world who we really are.”
The so-called “Creative Community for Peace” – front group for far-right Israel lobby organisation StandWithUs – recently falsified at least one signature on its letter supporting Israel’s participation in Eurovision, exposing its fraudulent, genocide-defending approach.
By contrast, many artists, politicians and people across Europe have called for Israel’s exclusion from Eurovision. Contestants in many countries have already joined the calls. We call on everyone who envisages a more just and peaceful world to boycott the 2024 Eurovision festival of hypocrisy.
