Over 1,000 artists call for boycott of Eurovision over Israel's participation

Musicians criticise European Broadcasting Union for 'hypocrisy', allowing Israel but not Russia to compete since 2022

More than 1,000 musicians and cultural workers signed an open letter on Tuesday calling for a boycott of the Eurovision Song Contest over Israel's participation, according to the initiative behind the appeal.

The letter, organised by the group "No Music for Genocide", urges artists, broadcasters, crew members and fans to withdraw support for the contest until the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) excludes Israel's public broadcaster KAN.

The initiative previously succeeded in convincing artists to block their music on streaming services in Israel.

Among the signatories are prominent international artists, including Brian Eno, Massive Attack, Kneecap, and Roger Waters, alongside former Eurovision winners such as Emmelie de Forest and Charlie McGettigan.

The letter said that allowing Israel to compete while Russia remains suspended from the contest over its 2022 war in Ukraine exposes what signatories describe as hypocrisy in the EBU's policies.

"The EBU's hypocritical responses to Russia's and Israel's crimes have removed any illusion of Eurovision's claimed 'neutrality'. In 2022, the EBU said that Russia's presence would 'bring the competition into disrepute'," the letter stated.

"Yet more than 30 months of genocide in Gaza — alongside ethnic cleansing and land theft in the besieged West Bank — aren't considered sufficient to apply the same policy to Israel," it added.

The artists accused the EBU of undermining its claimed neutrality and called on industry figures to take a stand, saying "passive silence is not an option".

The statement also praised broadcasters and contestants who have reportedly withdrawn from national selections or declined participation in protest, citing organisations in Spain, Ireland, Iceland, Slovenia and the Netherlands.

The Eurovision Song Contest is scheduled to hold its next edition in Austria between May 12 and 16.