The letter, signed by over 1,000 artists, calls for Israel to be banned from next month’s contest in Vienna
The No Music for Genocide campaign have released a new open letter signed by over 1,000 artists calling for Israel to be banned from Eurovision.
Massive Attack, IDLES, Kneecap, Brian Eno and Sigur Rós are among the huge list of names that have signed the letter, which comes after Eurovision organisers decided in December not to hold a vote about whether or not to disqualify Israel from the 2026 contest, which takes place next month in Vienna.
“A large majority of Members agreed that there was no need for a further vote on participation and that the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 should proceed as planned, with the additional safeguards in place,” the European Broadcasting Union, a group of broadcasters that air the contest in 56 countries, said in a statement.
In their own statement about the open letter, the organisers of No Music for Genocide said: “Every year, for its entire 53-year tenure as a Eurovision participant, Israel has perpetuated its terrorising systems of apartheid, torture, land theft, and military occupation against Palestinians from the river to the sea with complete impunity. While many of us in the industry make light of Eurovision or doubt our own power as cultural producers, genocidal Israel’s leaders speak openly about the contest’s geopolitical value.
“NMFG stands with and amplifies the incredible grassroots organising efforts across Europe to boycott Eurovision until Israel is banned. From PACBI to direct actionists, from Film Workers For Palestine in Hollywood to striking dockworkers in Italy and Morocco, people of conscience around the globe are fighting complicity in every industry for a free Palestine and a freer world.”
The NMFG campaign had previously signed up artists including Clairo, Lucy Dacus and more to remove their music from streaming services in Israel. Massive Attack also launched an alliance for musicians who are facing “intimidations from within” the music industry over their support of Palestine and Gaza. The band’s Robert del Naja was arrested at a Palestine Action protest in London this month.
You can sign the open letter here and read it in full below.
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Yes, but that’s voluntarily. It’s not the same as banning a country over politics.
“Politics” is a doing a lot of heavy lifting for Genocide and ethnic cleansing.
It’s always “politics” or “opinions” with people who know the views they support are absolutely heinous
As long as the submitted song does not do the heavy lifting, it’s acceptable.
It wasn’t voluntary for many of the athletes who didn’t compete, they were at the mercy of where they happened to live. Very much like how Israelis don’t live in Europe.
They don’t have to. There just has to be Israelis in the European Broadcasting Union.
5 countries have already boycotted the competition because of them.
That’s their right, just as a country can boycott the Olympics.
Yes, that was my point. You’re flip flopping back to the point somebody else made to you above. in any case, 5 countries are not in the competition so that a genocidal regime country can partake. if the EBU allows them to continue in the competition, they are condoning the murdering of children and thousands of innocent people.
That’s not political.
Incorrect because Eurovision should not be political. In the 2026 Winter Olympics, a Ukrainian bobsledder was not allowed to compete because he refused to change a helmet that had the names of people killed in Ukraine. This doesn’t mean the Olympic Committee condones Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. It means the Olympics should be about sports not politics.
I’m not European, so I don’t know too much about Eurovision.
It seems to me, that it is quite a safe, nonviolent, positive action that people can take to voice dissent on an international scale.
I suppose you are correct that Eurovision ‘isnt about politics’…but ethically speaking im not sure that I agree. It isnt going to hurt Israel all that much but it may help for some people to recognize that they are doing naughty bad violent things.
If you dont mind telling, what country do you live in?
It’s not about politics, Morally and ethically, allowing an Israeli representative to dance around the stage and sing while their country has killed thousands of innocent people, starved over 2 million, started illegal wars, used illegal weapons, has their current leader wanted for war crimes is condoning all of that. They have banned participants for much, much less. They have already had to change the rules once due to Israels suspected cheating anyway, so think of this as the ban that should have happened years ago.
It’s the same as an Israeli receiving a medal in the Olympics. Well, this is the Israeli entry for Eurovision 2026, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWCnWSoG8nI Forget the politics. Just listen to the music. That’s what Eurovision should be about, the music.
I don’t know what your hard on about the Olympics is. But anyway, as mentioned, the politics aren’t coming into it here. The organisers have a moral and ethical decision to make. Most people don’t want to listen to the music representing a country that is committing genocide, and most wouldn’t be able to, without being reminded of what’s going on.
The EBU are condoning what is happening by ignoring it.