israel has now officially been announced as one of the countries participating in eurovision 2024
meanwhile russia is still banned, for the third year in a row. the double standard is just sickening
if you’re european, you should 1) put pressure on your national broadcaster to withdraw from the contest. if the national selection goes through, then 2) pressure the individual artist(s) to withdraw from the contest. if come may, and israel is still participating, you should 3) boycott eurovision as a viewer, 4) pressure local establishments (clubs, gay bars etc.) to cancel their eurovision events, 5) intensify the pressure against your national broadcaster and its representing artist(s). never let them forget, even for a moment, the genocide they’re complicit in.
also, if you’re swedish, you have a special responsibility to protest as you’re this years host country.
i just wanna emphasize that it’s important the pressure is leveled at individual countries and artists, not the EBU as a whole. trying to pressure the EBU directly, be it through social media, emails, phone calls or whatnot, is likely just a waste of time.
the EBU doesn’t care that they come off as callous hypocrites. but having individual countries withdraw from the contest? that’s not only bad PR, it’s also a loss of revenue
even just one country withdrawing as a direct protest against israel’s participation is a big hit to the EBU. and there are already several countries i can realistically see withdrawing based on their previous reactions to israel hosting in 2019
also, for countries with a hardline pro-israel stance, pressure might be more effective if it’s primarily be directed at the participating artist(s).
is it realistic, for instance, to get the BBC to withdraw from eurovision? no. but the individual artist…? with unrelenting, daily reminders that they’re supporting a genocide? maybe.
at least we can ensure that participating in a nakedly pro-genocide eurovision will be a miserable affair for everyone involved.
remember south africa: boycotting works
even if you don’t care about eurovision, and has never watched it, you should still get involved. eurovision is one of the biggest non-sporting television events in the world. and getting israel banned from big international events like this is exactly the kind of pressure that needs to applied right now
israel, as long as its occupational apartheid regime remains, shouldn’t be allowed to participate in *any* international events, period. but getting them removed from say, the olympics, will be a much bigger struggle than a music contest that so comically prides itself on its image of inclusion and international unity
and maybe it’s wishful thinking, but eurovision might be an opportune moment to open the floodgates of getting israel removed from other international events as well
