A gaggle of artists in Sweden, this yr’s Eurovision host nation, are requesting that Israel be barred from collaborating within the 2024 Eurovision Track Contest over the nation’s “brutal” conflict in Gaza. In an open letter signed by greater than 1,000 Swedish musicians printed within the Swedish paper Aftonbladet, the artists decried the “humanitarian catastrophe” in Gaza within the wake of Israel’s punishing response to Hamas’ Oct. 7 shock assault on Israel that noticed militants killing greater than 1,200 Israelis — principally civilians — and taking greater than 250 hostages.
“We who signal this are 1,000 artists who consider in music as a unifying pressure. The Eurovision music contest started as a peace undertaking with the ambition to unite nations and residents by music,” learn the letter. “Permitting Israel’s participation undermines not solely the spirit of the competitors however your complete public service mission. It additionally sends the sign that governments can commit conflict crimes with out penalties. Due to this fact, we enchantment to the EBU: Exclude Israel from the Eurovision music contest 2024.”
Among the many signers of the letter printed on Monday (Jan. 29) are such acts as Robyn, Fever Ray and First Help Equipment and Malena Ernman, the opera singing mom of adlescent local weather activist Greta Thunberg, in addition to lots of of different dancers, artists, DJs and choreographers. The letter notes that the now 115-day-old conflict has reportedly led to the deaths of greater than 25,000 Palestinians — together with 10,000 kids — resulting in the destruction of “civilian infrastructure, brought on inhumane residing situations and compelled 85 p.c of the inhabitants to flee.”
It famous that the Worldwide Courtroom of Justice within the Hague not too long ago took up the case of alleged genocide introduced by South Africa, ruling that Israel should act to stop and punish any public incitements to commit genocide towards Palestinians in Gaza, to protect proof associated to any allegations of genocide within the territory, in addition to enhance humanitarian situations for Palestinian civilians in Gaza.
“The truth that nations that place themselves above humanitarian legislation are welcomed to take part in worldwide cultural occasions trivialises violations of worldwide legislation and makes the struggling of the victims invisible,” the Swedish letter acknowledged. The missive joins earlier related requests to exclude Israel from greater than 1,400 artists in Finland and Iceland. This yr’s Eurovision contest is slated to happen in Malmö from Might 7-11.
The sooner Finnish notice requested the Finnish Broadcasting Firm to boycott the competitors and refuse to ship a Finnish delegation if the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) — which runs Eurovision — doesn’t weigh in to take motion. The varied efforts are just like ones made in 2022 following Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine; Russia was subsequently banned from that yr’s contest after organizers stated inclusion would “deliver the competitors into disrepute.” That yr’s version was received by the Ukrainian rap/people group Kalush Orchestra.
On Tuesday (Jan. 30), a spokesperson for Eurovision 2024 supplied a press release to Billboard in response to the Swedish letter. “The Eurovision Track Contest is a contest between public service media organizations from throughout Europe and the Center East which can be Members of the European Broadcasting Union,” it learn.
“We perceive the considerations and deeply held views across the present battle within the Center East. Nevertheless, we’re dedicated to making sure the Eurovision Track Contest stays a non-political occasion through which broadcasters and artists, not governments, compete. Since its creation in 1956, the Contest has united audiences worldwide by music. As a member-led group, our governing our bodies – headed by the Govt Board – did assessment the members checklist for the 2024 Contest and agreed that the Israeli public broadcaster KAN met all of the competitors guidelines for this yr and may take part because it has for the previous 50 years. The EBU is aligned with different worldwide organizations, together with sports activities unions and federations and different worldwide our bodies, which have equally maintained their inclusive stance in direction of Israeli members in main competitions right now.”
The Swedish letter took the alternative stance, with the authors saying, “We consider that by permitting Israel’s participation, the EBU is exhibiting a outstanding double customary that undermines the group’s credibility.”
In keeping with The Guardian, the EBU beforehand introduced that Israel wouldn’t be excluded from this yr’s contest, whereas emphasizing that the wildly standard, typically outrageous musical contest is apolitical and that it’s a battle between public service broadcasters, not states. The paper additionally reported that Iceland’s nationwide broadcaster, RÚV, stated its determination on whether or not to boycott or take part in Eurovision can be made in mid-March by the winner of its music competitors, Söngvakeppnin.
Israel, which has been collaborating in Eurovision since 1973, has received the competitors 4 instances, together with in 1978 (Izhar Cohen and the Alphabeta, “A-Ba-Ni-Bi”), 1979 (Milk and Honey, “Hallelujah”), 1998 (Dana Worldwide, “Diva”) and 2018 (Netta Barzilai, “Toy”). A latest article within the Israeli newspaper Haaretz famous that regardless of its observe file of wins, Israel is now not the oddmakers’ favourite to win Eurovision this yr amid the rising requires a boycott over the Gaza conflict; the Israeli Broadcasting Company and Keshet are within the course of of selecting this yr’s Eurovision act through the competitors present HaKokhav HaBa (Rising Star).