Eurovision 2025: 72 former contestants call on Israel’s exclusion for Palestine

More than 70 former Eurovision contestants are signing an open letter to EBU by calling on the organizers to exclude Israel and its national broadcasting body, Kan, from this year’s competition.

In a letter addressed to the European Union of Radio and Television, participants such as British musician Mae Miller, Ireland’s 1994 winner Charlie McGetiz, as well as Portuguese singer Fernando Tordo, demanded his exclusion of Israeli It takes decades against the Palestinian people. « 

The letter refers to the war in the Gaza area that has so far cost the life of over 50,000 residents of Gaza, according to the Hamas health ministry.

Tensions that last for decades have escalated when Hamas armed forces made a bloody raid on an Israeli music festival on October 7, 2023, killing 1,200 people.

Israeli’s ongoing air attacks in Gaza caused strong confrontations in last year’s Eurovision competition, which took place in Sweden, and the letter states that this has led to « the most politicized, chaotic and unpleasant competition in the history of the institution ».

Following various controversy and turmoil between representatives and the public, Israel’s Eden Golan took fifth place in the 2024 competition.

Over 56,000 people had signed a similar request demanding Israel’s blockade in 2024, while the Association of composers and lyricists of Iceland and 1,400 industry professionals across Europe called for the suspension of the golan appearance.

In 2025, the final of the song contest will take place in the reign of Switzerland on May 17, with Juval Rafael representing Israel with the New Day Will Rise track.

Former contestants also accused the Kan broadcasting body of being a « complicit in war ».

Israel has repeatedly denied that its attacks are genocide, and legal proceedings at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) are ongoing.

« EBU has already proven that it is capable of taking measures, such as 2022, when it removed Russia from the competition. We do not accept this double measure on Israel, « the letter writes.

The Garrett view, participating in 2010 for Malta, said: « (No) a rule for Russia may apply and a completely different rule for Israel. You bombard, you’re out! « 

« As singers, songwriters, musicians and others we had the honor of participating in Eurovision, we invite EBU and all its members and broadcasting bodies now to take action: Israel must be excluded from Eurovision, » said former institutional contestants.

EBU may face another mass boycott is noted by The Hollywood Reporter.

Read the letter on the ARTISTS FOR PALESTINE here.

War in music

On Tuesday, Radiohead’s Greenwood and Israeli musician Dudu Tassa were forced to cancel two performances in the United Kingdom for boycott in favor of Palestine and threats to protest against them.

« The intimidating pressure on the venues to cancel our performances will not help to achieve peace and justice that deserve to everyone in the Middle East, » the twin replied.

At the same time, the Irish Rap Trio Kneecap – the homonymous and award -winning BAFTA of their film – has also been criticized and is being investigated by the British authorities.

The British Police Anti -Terrorism Service has announced that it was investigating a video shot at the Northerni -Cneecap Northern -Current Rapper concerts, who are accused of commenting violence against conservative MPs, as well as to support Hamas.

Police officers of the unit, who examined two videos shot in 2023 and 2024 and found in recent days, « concluded that there were sufficient reasons to investigate possible offenses, » London’s police said in a statement.

In another video, examined by British police, which was taken at a concert in November 2023, one of the rapper says that « good Tori (a member of the British Conservative Party) is the dead Tori. Kill your MP. « 

The band has already been eliminated from a Festival in Cornwall, Eden Sessions, and three concerts in Germany have been canceled for next September.

« To be clear: We never support and never support Hamas or Hezbollah. We condemn any attack on citizens, always, ”said rapper, who are known for their support in the Palestinian struggle.

On April 18, at a concert at the Californian Coachella Festival, the trio from Belfast promoted the following messages on a giant screen: « Israel commits genocide to the expense of the Palestinian people » and « C … Israel, liberate Palestine ».

These messages have sparked strong reactions to social media websites. Then they released videos from their previous concerts, inflating the confrontation.

Kneecaps are rapported into English and Irish and promote their language as a « anti -colonial » cry against the British occupation.