'Integrity costs something': Eurovision winners want Israel out of the contest

“'Integrity costs something': Eurovision winners want Israel out of the contest Submitted by Alex MacDonald on Wed, 05/06/2026 - 14:43 Former champions call for boycott of event over 'catastrophe' in Gaza and say show cannot be separated from political reality 2013 Eurovision winner, Danish singer Emmelie de Forest, performs on stage during the song contest 2014 Grand Final in Copenhagen, Denmark, on 10 May 2014 (Jonathan Nackstrand/AFP) Off The organisers of the Eurovision song contest have always maintained that they want to keep politics out of the event. In practice, however, politics has always played a major role, with rows over international affairs, human rights and domestic unrest popping up each year. The 1974 Carnation Revolution in Portugal that overthrew the country's dictatorship and led to independence for its African colonies was sparked off by the airing of Portugal's Eurovision entry for that year, E depois do adeus ("And After the Farewell"), by Paulo de Carvalho. In 2009, authorities in Azerbaijan interrogated 43 people after they voted for Armenia's entry in the contest that year, while Ukraine and Russia regularly jibed at each other over the latter's invasion until Russia was expelled in 2022. But arguably the biggest political controversy in the contest has been around Israel's participation since the beginning of the genocide in Gaza in October 2023. "For me, this is first and foremost about the devastating humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza and the enormous loss of civilian lives," Emmelie de Forest, winner of the 2013 Eurovision song contest, told Middle East Eye. "But it’s also about what it means when cultural institutions try to completely separate themselves from political reality. I don’t think music exists outside the world around us." The Danish singer, who won at the age of 20 with the song Only Teardrops , is one of a number of Eurovision stars who have publicly opposed Israel's inclusion in the 2026 contest in Vienna. Demonstration against Israel's candidate prior to the grand final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 in Basel, Switzerland, on 17 May 2025 (AFP) National broadcasters in Ireland, Spain, Iceland, Slovenia and the Netherlands have already said they would not be participating, while many musicians and campaigners have urged others to pull out from the event. Emmelie de Forest was one of more than 1,000 artists who signed the No Music For Genocide petition calling for a Eurovision boycott, alongside the Irish 1994 Eurovision winner, Charlie McGettigan, as well as Peter Gabriel, Massive Attack, Bjork, Macklemore, Mogwai, Brian Eno and many others. Unlike McGettigan's country, Forest's home of Denmark is participating in the contest, something she found disappointing, but not entirely surprising. She told MEE that she had stopped talking to friends and risked her income by speaking out, but said "sometimes integrity costs something". "What I find most difficult is the idea that Eurovision can somehow be separated entirely from political reality. I simply don’t believe that is possible anymore. "Keeping Israel in the competition is also a political decision." The European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which oversees the event, ruled in December that Israel could take part in Eurovision despite pressure at the body's General Assembly to hold a vote on the issue. Returning trophies Nemo, the 2024 Swiss winner, said they would be returning their award in response to the ruling, stating that while Eurovision claimed it stood for "unity, inclusion and dignity for all", Israel's inclusion conflicted with those aims. 'Some countries just see this as entertainment and they don't see entertainment as having any place for politics - but I do' - Charlie McGettigan, 1994 winner The 1994 Eurovision winner Charlie McGettigan told MEE that he also had intended to return his trophy following Nemo's example - until his wife pointed out he hadn't actually been given a physical trophy. "So let's say I returned a virtual trophy!" he said. McGettigan was the third Irish Eurovision contestant to win the top slot in a row - sparking rumours that the cost of hosting the event was worrying state broadcaster RTE to the extent they did not actually want him to win. An avid Eurovision fan since childhood, it was with a heavy heart that he petitioned RTE to withdraw from the 2026 contest, alongside pro-Palestine campaigners, successfully convincing the broadcaster. "I'm a not a member of any organisation...it's just me personally, and thankfully, the management at RTE decided after a vote that they weren't going to take part and that's admirable, I think," he said. Paul Harrington and Charlie McGettigan performing in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1994 (RTE) He said he felt unable to stay silent after watching the endless images of the genocide in Gaza, which has so far seen more than 72,000 Palestinians killed, with thousands more missing and presumed dead under the rubble, and the majority of the enclave destroyed. Hundreds have been killed since the second phase of a US-brokered ceasefire came into effect on 14 January, a week before Israel was selected for the contest. McGettigan said his own interest in the issue went back further, and cited the 2018 Eurovision win for Israel where, just days after its victory, its forces shot dead 62 Palestinians in Gaza - including six children - during the peaceful Great March of Return protests. "Now if that had happened in our country, and if 62 people had been murdered like that, we certainly wouldn't be celebrating winning Eurovision," he said. Israel and Eurovision: Why do countries want to boycott a song contest? Read More » He also disputed the idea of "apolitical" entertainment and pointed out that there had been a long tradition of music as a force for social change and highlighting injustice. "When you look back at people like Pete Seeger from the 1960s, Woody Guthrie, Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, all these artists have used their music to promote peace, to draw attention to injustice," he pointed out. "There are two strains of thought there, some countries just see this as entertainment, and they don't see entertainment as having any place for politics - but I do." So far, Spain is the only country from the so-called "Big Four", the states that automatically qualify for the contest, to have pulled out. In September, following the Spanish announcement, MEE asked the UK 's Department for Culture, Media and Sport for comment on the controversy, but was told it would not comment and deferred to the BBC, which oversees the UK's involvement in Eurovision. The BBC also said it would not be commenting. MEE also contacted the musicians representing the UK, France and Germany in the 2026 contest but received no response at time of publication. Protests expected in Vienna With the 70th edition of the Eurovision contest set to kick off next Tuesday, protesters are planning to mobilise outside the Eurovision venue in Vienna. Police told a press conference on Tuesday that they expected “blockades and disruption attempts" in the Austrian capital, with around 3,000 protesters, both pro-Palestinian and pro-Israel, expected. 'Fans have more influence than they sometimes realise, especially collectively' - Emmelie de Forest, 2013 winner They added that drones would be banned within 1.5km of sites, including the contest venue, while the US Federal Bureau of Investigation would also set up a task force in New York next week that Austrian authorities can contact around the clock to address cyber threats. The eve of the finale, 15 May, is also Nakba Day, when Palestinians commemorate the 1948 expulsions and massacres that saw the creation of the State of Israel. For her part, Forest said that while she opposed Israel's involvement and wouldn't "feel comfortable" attending, she said her criticism was directed at the EBU and the decisions being made at an institutional level, not at individual artists or ordinary fans. She said that Eurovision had always created a sense of connection and community "across countries and cultures" and said longtime fans still wanted to hold on to the contest. "At the same time, I think people should continue speaking openly, asking difficult questions and refusing to simply move on as if nothing is happening," she said. "Fans have more influence than they sometimes realise, especially collectively." Occupation News Post Date Override 0 Update Date Mon, 05/04/2020 - 21:19 Update Date Override 0

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