The endless confrontation between Israel and the terrorist organization Hamas continues, with thousands of civilian men, women and children killed to date. In the face of this violent conflict, the Swedish Government took a public stand and publicly and unreservedly condemned the Hamas attacks; but he also warned Israel to defend itself in accordance with international humanitarian law.
A few days later, more than a thousand Swedish artists have asked for Israel's veto from Eurovision for its "brutal war in Gaza."
They have done so with an open letter published in the newspaper Aftonbladet, where they have expressed their desire for Israel's participation in the song festival to be prohibited by the European Broadcasting Union (EUB). alleging that the organization is displaying "a notable double standard that undermines its credibility."
"The fact that countries that place themselves above humanitarian law are welcome to participate in international cultural events trivializes violations of international law and makes the suffering of victims invisible," says the letter, which was published last Monday, the 29th. January at night.
Among other signatories, there are well-known artists within the Swedish music scene, such as the singer Robyn, the duo First Aid Kit or former representatives of the Nordic country at the festival itself, such as Malena Ernman or Eric Saade.
A letter that is not unique, as it comes after thousands of other artists from countries such as Iceland or Finland have done the same and have requested the exclusion of Israel from the popular festival, which will be held in the Swedish city of Malmö next month. May.
In response to this letter, the EUB has already announced that Israel will not be banned from the festival. Among the reasons for not acceding to the requests received for its exclusion, the organization wanted to highlight the apolitical nature of the event, arguing that the competition is not between states, but between public service broadcasters.
Israel has participated in Eurovision since 1973, winning four times: 1978 (Izhar Cohen
This is not the first time that a country has been excluded from the song festival, since in 2022 the EUB banned Russia from participating in the popular event, even though it was initially allowed to compete.
