Israel can compete in this year's Eurovision Song Contest, organisers confirmed on Thursday, again rejecting calls for it to be excluded over the Gaza war like Russia was after invading Ukraine.
On Wednesday, a group of 400 celebrities including British actress Helen Mirren, British singer Boy George and former Kiss frontman Gene Simmons published an open letter supporting Eurovision's decision to maintain Israel's participation.
The letter was issued in response to petitions calling for Israel to be kicked out of the world's biggest live music event, which is being held in Malmo, Sweden, in May.
Approached by AFP, the European Broadcasting Union said it had conducted a review and decided late last year that Israel could participate in the kitsch annual pop extravaganza.
"The Eurovision Song Contest is a non-political music event and a competition between public service broadcasters who are members of the EBU. It is not a contest between governments," EBU director general Noel Curran said, reiterating a statement made in January.
Eurovision Songcontest => has something to do with Europe? Israel in a country in Europe? If yes what is with songs from Palestine? Syria? Lebanon? They are not in Europe, but Israel should be? I think this contest is racist. From it's roots.
The technical reason is that Israel is part of the European Broadcasting Union which runs Eurovision which for example Australia has been a part of for the past decade or so, I'm actually not sure if Palestine or any part of Palestine has ever attempted to join this organization, but it does complicate things when you're being occupied in joining organizations. Lebanon is eligible to enter Eurovision because it belongs to a related org to the EBU, but has never chosen to do so because Israel is in the contest. Israel shouldn't be allowed because it's genocidal and a illegitimate settler colonial state, not because of the location. If Israel had never been created, I imagine most of the MENA states in the Arab States Broadcasting Union would have joined the contest.