Eurovision 2026: German Leader Supports Boycott If Israel Is Not Allowed To Compete

Posted on 07/10/2025 by Boris Clair

The chancellor of Germany has said he would support the country boycotting next year’s Eurovision Song Contest if Israel is banned from competing.

After controversy has blighted Eurovision for the last few years due to Israel’s continued participation despite the ongoing conflict in Gaza, a vote is due to take place among competing national broadcasters in December, to determine whether Israel is permitted to return.

Several countries have now said they will pull out of Eurovision unless Israel is banned, but during a new interview, chancellor Friedrich Merz made it clear he supports the opposite view.

Asked by German broadcaster ARD if he’d back calls to boycott Eurovision in the event that Israel is not allowed to return, Merz responded: “I would support this. I think it’s a scandal that this is even being discussed. Israel has a place there.”

It’s worth pointing out that Germany is one of Eurovision’s “Big Five” countries, meaning they contribute the most financially, and are therefore allowed to pass straight through to the final each year without taking part in earlier stages of the contest.

The other countries in the “Big Five” are the UK, France, Italy and Spain, the latter of which has already said it will not return to Eurovision in 2026 if Israel is allowed to compete again.

Official discussions among competing Eurovision broadcasters about Israel’s involvement were first held over the summer, though no consensus was reached at that time.

Around this period, it was reported by Israel’s N12 News that the national broadcasters for Germany and Italy had threatened to pull out of Eurovision if Israel is not permitted to return to the event in 2026.

Responding to these rumours, a spokesperson from Germany’s Südwestrundfunk (SWR) told HuffPost UK in July: “The Eurovision Song Contest is a major musical event that has brought people across Europe and beyond together for decades – diverse and respectful, regardless of origin, religion, or belief.

“The ESC is a music competition organised by EBU broadcasters, not governments. The Israeli broadcaster KAN adheres to applicable regulations and has been an integral part of the music competition for more than 60 years. We affirm their membership and the core values of the ESC.”

Germany’s culture minister Wolfram Weimer previously issued a statement of his own condemning calls to boycott the event next year should Israel remain part of it.

“Eurovision was founded to bring nations together through music. Excluding Israel today goes against this fundamental idea and turns a celebration of understanding between peoples into a tribunal,” he said in a statement.

“It’s precisely because Eurovision was born on the ruins of war that it should not become a scene of exclusion. Eurovision is based on the principle that artists are judged on their art and not on their nationality. The culture of cancellation is not the solution — the solution is diversity and cohesion.”

Austrian singer JJ is the reigning Eurovision Song Contest champion, with next year's event due to take place in Vienna following his win — Austrian singer JJ is the reigning Eurovision Song Contest champion, with next year’s event due to take place in Vienna following his win

A Eurovision spokesperson previously told HuffPost UK: “We understand the concerns and deeply held views around the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. We are still consulting with all EBU Members to gather views on how we manage participation and geopolitical tensions around the Song Contest.

“Broadcasters have until mid-December to confirm if they wish to take part in next year’s event in Vienna. It is up to each Member to decide if they want to take part in the Contest and we would respect any decision broadcasters make.”

Eurovision 2026: More Countries Cast Doubt On Returning Next Year Amid Israel Controversy

Posted on 10/09/2025 by Boris Clair

After Slovenia’s national broadcaster said it will not compete in next year’s Eurovision Song Contest if Israel remains part of the competition, it looks like more countries could be following suit.

Over the summer, discussions took place among Eurovision’s participating broadcasters about whether Israel should remain part of the contest despite the ongoing war in Gaza, with the situation due to be reassessed in the coming months.

Since then, Slovenian broadcaster RTVSLO has said it will only return to Eurovision in 2026 if Israel is banned, similarly to how Russia has not been invited to take part in the competition since its invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Following this, the chair of Icelandic broadcaster RÚV has said it is still not clear whether Iceland will be competing in 2026, saying the board will make a decision once it’s clear if Israel will be invited to return.

Icelandic duo VAEB at Eurovision earlier this year

Meanwhile, Spain’s minister for culture Ernest Urtasun has called for the country to withdraw from Eurovision if Israel remain part of the contest.

Per Eurovoix, Urtasun told La Hora De La 1: “I don’t think we can normalise Israel’s participation in international events as if nothing is happening.

“Events like Eurovision [bring] a certain representation of a country. In Eurovision’s case, it is not an individual artist who participates but someone who participates on behalf of that country’s citizens.”

It’s worth pointing out that Spain is one of the so-called “Big Five” countries at Eurovision, who contribute more financially than other competing nations, and is therefore guaranteed a place in the grand final, without having to compete in the semi-final stages.

Last week, Eurovision’s director Martin Green issued a statement to HuffPost UK which read: “We understand the concerns and deeply held views around the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. We are still consulting with all EBU Members to gather views on how we manage participation and geopolitical tensions around the Song Contest.

Eurovision had no further comment when contacted for comment by HuffPost UK on Wednesday

Reigning Eurovision winner JJ has called for Israel's removal from the competition — Reigning Eurovision winner JJ has called for Israel’s removal from the competition

Meanwhile, it was previously reported that the broadcasters for Germany and Italy – who, like Spain, also make up the “Big Five”, as do the UK and France – had both threatened to pull out of Eurovision if Israel is not permitted to return to the event in 2026.

A spokesperson for Germany’s Südwestrundfunk (SWR) later told HuffPost UK: “The ESC is a music competition organised by EBU broadcasters, not governments.

“The Israeli broadcaster KAN adheres to applicable regulations and has been an integral part of the music competition for more than 60 years. We affirm their membership and the core values of the ESC.”

Eurovision 2026: Slovenia Says It Will Not Compete If Israel Returns For Next Year’s Event

Posted on 05/09/2025 by Boris Clair

The controversy around Israel’s participation in the Eurovision Song Contest continues to escalate, as one participating country has now said it will not return to the contest unless the Israeli delegation is not invited next year.

Earlier this year, discussions took place among Eurovision’s participating broadcasters about whether Israel should remain part of the contest despite the ongoing war in Gaza, with the situation due to be reassessed in the autumn.

The Slovenian broadcaster RTVSLO has now said it will only return to Eurovision next year if Israel is banned, similarly to how Russia has not been invited to take part in the competition since its invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Slovenian singer Klemen rehearsing for this year's Eurovision Song Contest — Slovenian singer Klemen rehearsing for this year’s Eurovision Song Contest

RTVSLO’s communication department has now issued a statement, translated by the fansite ESC Today, which said that its decision about whether to return to Eurovision would be made imminently.

“By this time, it should be clear whether the EBU will make any decision regarding Israel’s participation and whether it will take into account the comments of several EBU member states regarding the transparency of voting,” they said. “At that time, it will be clear whether [we still want] to participate in this competition.

“At the EBU General Assembly, which was held in London at the beginning of July, RTV Slovenia presented its position that if Israel were to participate in the Eurovision Song Contest – due to the genocide in Gaza – it would not participate in the competition.”

“The EBU is currently holding talks with its members regarding Israel’s possible participation in the future competition,” they concluded.

HuffPost UK has contacted the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) for comment.

Austrian performer JJ won Eurovision this year, and has since called for Israel's expulsion from the contest — Austrian performer JJ won Eurovision this year, and has since called for Israel’s expulsion from the contest

Meanwhile, back in July, it was reported by Israel’s N12 News (as cited by The National) that the national broadcasters for Germany and Italy had threatened to pull out of Eurovision if Israel was not permitted to return to the event in 2026.

A spokesperson for Germany’s Südwestrundfunk (SWR) later told HuffPost UK: “The Eurovision Song Contest is a major musical event that has brought people across Europe and beyond together for decades – diverse and respectful, regardless of origin, religion, or belief.

“We welcome the process initiated by EBU Director General Noel Curran. A former senior TV executive will engage in a structured, open dialogue with the members over the coming months to explore various perspectives and identify courses of action. The goal should be a well-founded and sustainable solution in line with the EBU’s values.”

The EBU previously said: “We understand the concerns and deeply held views around the current conflict in the Middle East. The EBU is not immune to global events but, together with our members, it is our role to ensure the Contest remains – at its heart – a universal event that promotes connections, diversity and inclusion through music.

“We all aspire to keep the Eurovision Song Contest positive and inclusive and aspire to show the world as it could be, rather than how it necessarily is.”

“As a reminder, the EBU is an association of public service broadcasters, not governments, who are all eligible to participate in the Eurovision Song Contest every year if they meet the requisite requirements,” they added. “It is not our role to make comparisons between conflicts.”

Eurovision Winner Nemo Backs Calls For Israel To Be Excluded From This Year’s Contest

Posted on 08/05/2025 by Boris Clair

Eurovision champion Nemo has said that they do not support Israel’s continued presence in the contest.

Nemo won Eurovision on behalf of Switzerland in 2024 with their song The Code, in what proved to be an especially controversial year for the competition.

Amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, many critics last year called for a boycott of Eurovision if Israel were allowed to remain. Around this time, Nemo was also one of nine acts involved in the broadcast that issued a group statement expressing solidarity with Palestine prior to the event.

In the run-up to this year’s Eurovision, the contest is once again facing scrutiny over Israel’s participation, with more than 70 artists and performers associated with the contest in the past – including two former winners – sharing an open letter this week calling for Israel to be excluded from the upcoming event.

Asked during an interview with HuffPost UK if this is a subject they have an opinion on, Nemo responded: “Yeah, I do. I personally feel like it doesn’t make sense that Israel is a part of this Eurovision. And of Eurovision in general right now.

“I don’t know how much I want to get into detail, but I would say, I don’t support the fact that Israel is part of Eurovision at the moment.”

Nemo later supplied HuffPost UK with an additional statement, which read: “I support the call for Israel’s exclusion from the Eurovision Song Contest.

“Israel’s actions are fundamentally at odds with the values that Eurovision claims to uphold — peace, unity, and respect for human rights.”

Nemo celebrating their Eurovision win in May 2024

Responding to the artists’ calls for Israel to be banned from Eurovision, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) said in a statement earlier this week: “We understand the concerns and deeply held views around the current conflict in the Middle East.

“The EBU is not immune to global events but, together, with our members, it is our role to ensure the Contest remains – at its heart – a universal event that promotes connections, diversity and inclusion through music.

“We all aspire to keep the Eurovision Song Contest positive and inclusive and aspire to show the world as it could be, rather than how it necessarily is.”

Their response continued: “As a reminder, the EBU is an association of public service broadcasters, not governments, who are all eligible to participate in the Eurovision Song Contest every year if they meet the requisite requirements.

“It is not our role to make comparisons between conflicts. As part of its mission to secure a sustainable future for public service media, the EBU is supporting our Israeli Member KAN against the threat from being privatised or shut down by the Israeli government.

“The EBU remains aligned with other international organisations that have similarly maintained their inclusive stance towards Israeli participants in major competitions at this time.”

Last week, Eurovision bosses issued a similarly-worded statement to HuffPost UK in response to questions from three competing countries’ national broadcasters about whether Israel should remain part of the contest.

Eurovision took place in Malmö, Sweden last year

Despite their past support for Palestine, Nemo said elsewhere in the conversation that there was “never” a question of them withdrawing from last year’s competition, as they wanted to use the Eurovision stage to tell their personal story through their song, The Code.

“It was very much just me realising that this story is important to tell. And if I’m not there to tell it, and to say it, then no one else will,” they claimed.

Nemo continued: “I think I could have not gone through all of that if I was just singing kind of a song that was a cute song, and I would feel happy singing it. I needed this sense of direction and purpose, and that was what never made me even question being there.”

“And that’s how it feels for me this year, as well,” they added, looking ahead to their performance at the upcoming contest.

Meanwhile, Nemo also spoke about the changes to the rules around permitted flags at this year’s Eurovision Song Contest.

These changes mean audience members are allowed to wave any flags or emblems they like (as long as they don’t violate any Swiss laws), while acts on stage or in “official spaces” are forbidden from holding any flag other than that of their own country.

As a result, this means that Pride flags are effectively banned from the Eurovision stage this year, a move which Nemo branded “stupid as fuck”.

Nemo brought the non-binary flag with them on stage at last year's Eurovision — Nemo brought the non-binary flag with them on stage at last year’s Eurovision

“That’s so dumb,” they said. “I don’t get it. It’s so random sometimes. I just feel like… why? You know what I mean?

“You can’t be known for like the queerest thing in the world, basically, a contest that has been associated with queerness and gay culture for so long, and then be like, ‘oh, we don’t allow Pride flags for the artists’.

“And especially after last year, when I had to smuggle in the non-binary flag, and they were like, ‘you can’t have it on stage’, they told me. And then after the contest, the official statement was like, ‘it was never forbidden’. But then this year, they’re pro-actively [forbidding flags on stage]. I don’t know, it’s very strange to me.”

“I don’t know, it feels a bit confusing to me,” Nemo continued. “Also, this rule feels not thought through, at all. I don’t know who decided that, and how they decided it, and what was the reason for it, especially after last year, but it just feels strange. It feels not really thought through. I don’t know.”

They added: “It doesn’t even feel ill-intended. I don’t know, I’m confused by it. I think that’s the only thing I can say. I don’t think it makes sense at all.

“And it’s harming, I feel like, the cause of Eurovision. I don’t know, it’s just weird to me.”

Following their win at Eurovision in 2024, Nemo is among the guest performers at this year’s contest, which is due to take place in Basel later this month.

They also recently unveiled their latest single Casanova, the music video for which you can watch below.

Read HuffPost UK’s full interview with Nemo next week.

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Puppet On A String Writer Reveals How They Really Feel About That Jade Thirlwall Sample

Posted on 22/07/2024 by Boris Clair

One of the writers behind Sandie Shaw’s Puppet On A String has given the thumbs up to former Little Mix star Jade Thirlwall’s use of the song on her debut solo single.

Phil Coulter co-wrote the hit with Bill Martin, eventually scoring the UK its first of five wins at the Eurovision Song Contest back in 1967.

Last week, Jade debuted her new song Angel Of My Dreams, which opens with a distorted version of Puppet On A String, which is then sampled throughout the song.

Reacting to the news, Phil told BBC News NI he was “thrilled” at his song’s inclusion on Jade’s single.

Sandie Shaw performing Puppet On A String in 1967

“I would love to tell you that I’m on speed dial with Little Mix and all of those hot producers, but in fact I was completely unaware until one of my kids and grandkids told me,” he joked, revealing his family assured him Jade’s song was getting “[good] reviews left, right and centre” and is “going to be the song of the summer”.

Phil continued: “I made a point of listening to the song. I am delighted and very flattered and flabbergasted and surprised that I am part of this whole operation.”

“It’s very unusual. I have six kids – it didn’t happen too often that they would bask in the glory of their dad having music in the charts, in fact they would have been embarrassed, they would have preferred if I was an accountant,” he admitted.

“At this stage, if this does become the big hit of the summer, I am in grave danger of becoming cool. Secretly they might have been pleased but they didn’t express that too often, so I suppose now at this advanced stage for me to be seen to be trendy and cool, is something that I embrace.”

Puppet On A String was previously sampled by Lily Allen on her hit Alfie.

Puppet On A String co-writers Bill Martin and Phil Coulter

Jade revealed to Audacy last week: “Originally, the chorus [of Angel Of My Dreams] was me singing [Puppet On A String]. And then we re-wrote a chorus to go on top of it.

“It probably did sound quite different initially, but the kind of chaos of it was always there. We knew that’s what we wanted to do… I wanted it to feel like there was a lot going on.”

She previously claimed she’d been trying to sample Puppet On A String on a track “for years”, and revealed: “In the beginning of our career you do think you are this puppet, but at the same time it isn’t true – we wrote a lot of our songs, and we were behind a lot of what we put out there I resented that as a statement.

“So it felt natural to take that and show that it can be true and untrue at the same time.”

The Official Charts Company revealed on Sunday that Angel Of My Dreams is currently on track to chart at number two in this weeks UK singles chart.

Check out the song for yourself in the video below:

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European Organisers Respond After EU Makes An Official Complaint About This Year’s Competition

Posted on 17/05/2024 by Boris Clair

Eurovision bosses have responded to a complaint made by the European Union’s vice president about this year’s competition.

Even this year’s winner Nemo called out the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) for their “double standards” after the Swiss singer was not permitted to wave the non-binary pride flag in the arena (they smuggled one in anyway, and Eurovision later posted a picture of it to their official Instagram page).

But that’s not the only flag-related issue this year.

Eurovision winner Nemo on stage in Malmö

When reports emerged claiming that the flag of the EU was also not allowed in the arena, the union’s vice president Margaritis Schinas filed an official complaint to the EBU.

On Thursday, Schinas revealed he’d already received a response about his complaint, which he shared on X.

“As you rightly note, the Eurovision Song Contest shares the same values of universality, diversity, equality and inclusivity as the European Union itself,” the letter from EBU director general Noel Curran began.

“The EBU has a proud tradition of celebrating diversity through music and in bringing European citizens together, ‘United by Music’. Our goal is to translate our ideals and values into reality, whilst endeavouring to innovate and improve all aspects of the Song Contest, together with the relevant host broadcaster.

“We are proud each year to organise a truly inclusive show that is the most watched (non-sport) entertainment event in Europe.”

The letter went on to insist that there “has never been an express ban on the EU flag at the Eurovision Song Contest”, pointing out that it has been “clearly visible in previous editions”.

“However,” Curran continued, “our general approach to the flags at the venue each year has always been based on a positive, inclusive list of the flags of participating countries only and the rainbow flag.

“It is the case that in 2024, as a result of the sensitive global political context and serious security risks on-site, the list of accepted participating country flags, along with all other security policies, was applied more strictly than ever at the entrance to the venue.”

“We wish to assure you that it was never our intention to discredit the European Union flag as such an important symbol of European unity and solidarity, and we will be sure to revisit our policy for next year.”

The EBU previously took issue with contestants and guest performers making visual displays of solidarity with Palestine during this year’s competition.

Irish act Bambie Thug claimed they were made to remove a message calling for a “ceasefire” in ancient Gaelic from their stage costume, while opening act Eric Saade was rebuked for incorporating a Palestinian keffiyeh into his stage outfit.

Eric Saade on stage during the first semi-final of Eurovision 2024

Eric – who is of Palestinian descent – later hit back at the EBU, claiming: “The EBU seem to think that my ethnicity is controversial. It says nothing about me, but everything about them.”

The Portuguese delegation also made an official complaint to the EBU after their performance was uploaded to YouTube later than other acts’, which organisers said was due to “pro-Palestinian elements”.

Portuguese singer Iolanda had sported nail art inspired by the traditional Palestinian keffiyeh for her performance in the final.

Eurovision Suffers UK Ratings Dip Amid Controversy Over This Year’s Contest

Posted on 13/05/2024 by Boris Clair

Eurovision suffered a considerable dip in viewing figures on Saturday night compared to the previous year’s competition, amid widespread controversy around the contest.

The lead-up to this year’s Eurovision was marred with a wave of controversy around Israel’s participation, due to the ongoing conflict in Gaza.

When the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) made it clear that Israel would be taking part as usual in 2024, many fans called for a boycott of the competition, as did the Palestine-led BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) movement.

The day after the final, Digital i reported (via The Guardian) that an average of 7.64 million people in the UK tuned in for Saturday’s live final, compared with the previous year’s 9.98 million, a dip of almost 25%.

Israeli singer Eden Golan pictured during Saturday's live final — Israeli singer Eden Golan pictured during Saturday’s live final

It’s worth pointing out that, in addition to the controversy over Israel’s involvement, last year’s Eurovision was also the first time the competition had been held in the UK for a quarter of a century, with Liverpool hosting Eurovision on behalf of 2022 winners Ukraine.

Olly Alexander represented the UK with his song Dizzy at Eurovision this year.

Prior to the competition, Olly faced pressure from fans, as well as the campaign group Queers For Palestine and the BDS movement, to pull out of the contest in solidarity with Palestine.

In response to this, the former Years & Years frontman said in March: “I wholeheartedly support action being taken to demand an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza, the return of all hostages and the safety and security of all civilians in Palestine and Israel.

“I know some people will choose to boycott this year’s Eurovision and I understand and respect their decision. As a participant I’ve taken a lot of time to deliberate over what to do and the options available to me. It is my current belief that removing myself from the contest wouldn’t bring us any closer to our shared goal.

“Instead, I’ve been speaking with some of the other [Eurovision] contestants and we’ve decided that by taking part we can use our platform to come together and call for peace. I hope and pray that our calls are answered and there is an end to the atrocities we are seeing taking place in Gaza.”

The Eurovision final saw Dizzy finishing in 18th place of 25 acts, after being awarded 46 points by the international juries. However, he failed to secure any votes from Eurovision viewers.

Switzerland were crowned the overall winners thanks to Nemo and their song The Code, marking the first time a non-binary performer has come out on top in the Eurovision Song Contest.

This is also the first time Switzerland has won Eurovision since Céline Dion in 1988.

Nemo secured 591 points in total, surpassing runner up Baby Lasagne, representing Croatia.

Israeli Eurovision Singer Eden Golan Booed During Semi-Final Rehearsals

Posted on 09/05/2024 by Boris Clair

Israeli singer Eden Golan was met with a decidedly mixed reaction during rehearsals for her first Eurovision performance.

This year’s Eurovision has been the subject of much debate after many fans called for a boycott due to Israel’s involvement, amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

Ahead of her performance in Thursday night’s semi-final, Eden performed a dress rehearsal on Wednesday evening, in front of a live studio audience.

Footage recorded from this performance depicted loud boos while Eden on stage, as well as cries of “free Palestine” from some audience members.

Israel’s national broadcaster Kan said in a statement: “Eden stood on the stage during the dress rehearsal with pride and gave an incredible performance. They did not silence her and they will not silence us. See you tomorrow.”

Back in February, it was reported that Eurovision organisers had taken issue with the song Israel had submitted due to its supposedly “political” lyrics.

At the time, the country’s national broadcaster claimed that they would rather withdraw from the competition than change the song, which was initially titled October Rain.

However, the Israeli delegation later appeared to have had a change of heart, after it was confirmed that Eden would be going ahead with representing Israel at the competition, with a rewritten version of her original song, now titled Hurricane.

The first semi-final of this year’s Eurovision Song Contest got off to a bit of a controversial start, after guest performer Eric Saade – who is of Palestinian descent – was rebuked by organisers for wearing a traditional keffiyeh around his wrist as part of his stage costume.

“All performers are made aware of the rules of the contest, and we regret that Eric Saade chose to compromise the non-political nature of the event,” a spokesperson for the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) said.

Eric subsequently issued a statement in Swedish to SVT, which has been translated by one fan on X to read: “I got this [keffiyeh] from my father as a little boy, to never forget where our family is from. Back then I didn’t know that it would one day be called a ‘political symbol’.

“It’s like calling ‘Dalahästen’ [a traditional Swedish horse statue] a political symbol. In my eyes it’s only racism.”

He added: “I just wanted to be inclusive and wear something that felt real to me – but the EBU seem to think that my ethnicity is controversial. It says nothing about me, but everything about them. I say like this year’s ESC-slogan: United by music.”

Eurovision Bosses Rebuke Guest Singer For Wearing Palestinian Garment During Performance

Posted on 08/05/2024 by Boris Clair

Eurovision bosses have spoken out after guest singer Eric Saade incorporated a traditional Palestinian garment into his semi-final stage outfit.

Before this year’s acts each sang for the first time on Tuesday night, the semi-final got underway with a medley of old Eurovision hits performed by finalists including Eric, Eleni Foureira and Chanel.

While performing his hit Popular, the Swedish singer – who is of Palestinian descent – was seen sporting a keffiyeh wrapped around his wrist.

Following Eric’s performance, a spokesperson for the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which organises Eurovision, rebuked the singer for what they described as a “compromise” of the “non-political nature of the event”.

“The Eurovision Song Contest is a live TV show,” they said (via ITV News).

“All performers are made aware of the rules of the contest, and we regret that Eric Saade chose to compromise the non-political nature of the event.”

Posting on his Instagram story after the semi-final, Eric wrote: “Reminder – it’s only love.”

Referencing this year’s Eurovision slogan, he added: “United By Music it is.”

Eric shared this message with his Instagram followers on Tuesday night

“It’s like calling ‘Dalahästen’ [a traditional Swedish horse statue] a political symbol. In my eyes it’s only racism.”

“I just wanted to be inclusive and wear something that felt real to me – but the EBU seem to think that my ethnicity is controversial. It says nothing about me, but everything about them. I say like this year’s ESC-slogan: United by music.”

In the lead-up to his performance, Eric branded the EBU’s “handling” of this year’s Eurovision “disgraceful”, and wrote the slogan United By Music is “a joke”.

He also claimed organisers “do not permit any Palestinian symbols inside the arena” while “symbols representing any other ethnicity in the world are welcomed”.

“Therefore, it is more crucial than ever for me to be present on THAT STAGE,” he added. “You may take our symbols, but you cannot take away my presence.”

Reports have claimed that since 2023, only flags of the competing countries, the European Union flag and the Pride flag are permitted inside a Eurovision venue.

HuffPost UK has contacted the EBU for clarification on this.

This year’s Eurovision Song Contest is taking place in Malmö, Sweden, and has faced a backlash from some regular fans due to Israel’s continued involvement, despite the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

After facing calls to withdraw from the competition in solidarity with Palestine, a number of acts – including the UK’s own Olly Alexander – released a joint statement which read: “In light of the current situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, and particularly in Gaza, and in Israel, we do not feel comfortable being silent.

“It is important to us to stand in solidarity with the oppressed and communicate our heartfelt wish for peace, an immediate and lasting ceasefire, and the safe return of all hostages. We stand united against all forms of hate, including antisemitism and islamophobia.

“We firmly believe in the unifying power of music, enabling people to transcend differences and foster meaningful conversations and connections. We feel that it is our duty to create and uphold this space, with a strong hope that it will inspire greater compassion and empathy.”

After the first semi-final on Tuesday, Irish act Bambie Thug claimed they’d also been made by the EBU to remove messages of solidarity with Palestine from their stage costume.

Earlier this year, it was reported that Eurovision organisers had taken issue with Israel’s submitted song due to its supposedly “political” lyrics, with the country’s national broadcaster Kan saying they would rather withdraw from the competition than change the song.

However, the Israeli delegation later appeared to have had a change of heart, after it was confirmed that Eden Golan would be representing Israel at the competition, with a rewritten version of her original song, now titled Hurricane, after being changed from October Rain.

Irish Eurovision Act Claims They Were Forced To Remove Pro-Palestinian Messages From Costume

Posted on 08/05/2024 by Boris Clair

Irish Eurovision performer Bambie Thug has claimed they were made to remove messages of solidarity with Palestine from their stage outfit in the lead-up to their first performance of the competition.

On Tuesday night, Bambie was one of 15 acts to compete in the first of this year’s two semi-finals, during which they became Ireland’s first qualifying act since 2018.

During Eurovision rehearsals, the singer-songwriter has been seen sporting subtle messages of solidarity with Palestine – including “freedom for Palestine” and “ceasefire”, written in the ancient Celtic alphabet Ogham – on their body.

However, these were not present when Bambie performed on Tuesday, which they said after the show was down to Eurovision organisers the European Broadcasting Union (EBU).

Bambie told reporters at a post-show press conference these slogans were “very important for me because I am pro-justice and pro-peace”.

“Unfortunately,” they added, “I had to change those messages today, to ‘Crown The Witch’ only… in order from the EBU.”

🇮🇪 Bambie Thug has confirmed that the EBU required them to remove the words “Freedom for Palestine” and “Ceasefire” from their costume in order to perform in Semi-Final 1 of #Eurovision 2024. pic.twitter.com/28XMQXZiEX

— wiwibloggs (@wiwibloggs) May 7, 2024

An EBU rep told The Irish Mirror: “The writing seen on Bambie Thug’s body during dress rehearsals contravened contest rules that are designed to protect the non-political nature of the event.

“After discussions with the Irish delegation, they agreed to change the text for the live show.”

HuffPost UK has contacted the EBU for additional comment.

Back in March, Bambie co-signed a statement – alongside the acts representing Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Switzerland, Denmark, Lithuania and Finland – responding to calls for them to pull out of the competition in solidarity with Palestine, due to Israel’s involvement.

The group said: “In light of the current situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, and particularly in Gaza, and in Israel, we do not feel comfortable being silent.

Bambie told Metro more recently: “We couldn’t stay silent on the matter. I basically said what I wanted to say in my statement, but it is down to the EBU and it is down to even my broadcaster.

“I’m getting a lot of targeted abuse that I don’t think it’s entirely fair, actually, when I’m not the one that’s making the decisions, but I am extremely pro Palestine and it is disappointing that the EBU has made this this decision because I don’t think it’s correct.”

The Palestine-led BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) movement previously publicly urged the UK’s Olly Alexander to back out of the competition, which the former Years & Years star has also publicly addressed on several occasions.

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