"The decision by four European broadcasters to boycott next year's Eurovision over Israel's inclusion is undoubtedly a watershed moment in the 70-year history of the song contest. One of the few genuinely popular, non-elitist and pan-European cultural events will be without Spain, one of the big five nations in terms of financial contributions; Ireland, which has won the contest more times than any other country bar Sweden; 1956 founding member the Netherlands; and Slovenia, symbolic of the EU's eastward enlargement."
"And with only a shaky ceasefire in Gaza and Israel's broadcaster KAN showing no sign of retreating of its own accord, this may well be the state of play for some time to come. At the same time, political boycotts are anything but new to the world's largest live music event, whatever its organisers say about the competition's supposedly apolitical nature. Greece missed out on witnessing the Dutch entry Teach-In winning Eurovision in 1975."
Four European broadcasters — Spain, Ireland, the Netherlands and Slovenia — have announced a boycott of next year's Eurovision over Israel's inclusion. The boycott removes major financial contributors, founding members and historically successful competitors from the contest. A shaky ceasefire in Gaza and Israel's broadcaster KAN showing no sign of withdrawing suggest the boycott could persist. Political boycotts have occurred repeatedly in Eurovision's history: Greece and Turkey boycotted in 1975–76 over Cyprus, Armenia skipped the 2012 Baku contest, and a 1964 Copenhagen protest carried a placard reading 'Boycott Franco & Salazar'. Spain subsequently won in 1968.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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