"Eurovision says it stands for unity, inclusion, and dignity for all. Those values made this contest meaningful to me,"
"But Israel's continued participation, during what the UN's Independent International Commission of Inquiry has concluded to be a genocide, shows a clear conflict between those ideals and the decisions made by the EBU."
"The Song Contest and Eurovision have always had the aim of uniting the Icelandic nation, but it is now clear that this aim cannot be achieved, and it is on these program-related grounds that this decision is taken,"
"chance to once again become a space filled with music - and only music."
Five countries have withdrawn from Eurovision 2026 after the European Broadcasting Union allowed Israel to participate. Nemo, Switzerland’s 2024 winner, returned their trophy in protest, citing the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry’s conclusion of genocide and stating that Israel’s participation conflicts with values of unity, inclusion, and dignity. Iceland joined Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland, and Slovenia in the boycott. Broadcasters described withdrawals as program-related decisions and some countries urged a return to a contest focused solely on music. The EBU recently refused to allow a vote on Israel’s participation, intensifying the controversy.
Read at Vulture
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]