"Eurovision was founded to bring nations together through music. Excluding Israel today goes against this fundamental idea and turns a celebration of understanding between peoples into a tribunal,"
"It's precisely because Eurovision was born on the ruins of war that it should not become a scene of exclusion."
"Eurovision is based on the principle that artists are judged on their art and not on their nationality. The culture of cancellation is not the solution -- the solution is diversity and cohesion,"
Germany's culture minister criticized threats by several European countries to boycott next year's Eurovision if Israel participates, calling those threats a politicisation of a cultural event. Spain, Ireland, Slovenia, Iceland and the Netherlands have threatened boycotts, while Belgium, Sweden and Finland are considering similar moves; Austria, the 2026 host, expressed regret over the threats. The European Broadcasting Union will decide Israel's participation at its December general assembly. Pro-Palestinian protests occurred in Malmo and Basel in 2024. The 2024 contest drew 166 million viewers. Official tallies cite 1,219 killed in the Hamas attack and at least 65,174 killed in Israel's retaliatory campaign.
Read at The Local Germany
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