Slovenia public broadcaster calls for ban of 'Israel' from Eurovision

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Israeli media
22 Dec 2024 08:25

Slovenia's RTV public broadcaster becomes the first to vote for the ban of "Israel" from the Eurovision Song Contest 2025.

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Pro-Palestinian demonstrators gather for a protest against the participation of Israeli contestant Eden Golan ahead of the final of the Eurovision Song Contest in Malmo, Sweden, Saturday, May 11, 2024. (AP)

In an unprecedented move, Slovenia's public broadcaster demanded that "Israel" be banned from the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest, citing the ongoing war on Gaza.

According to Slovenian media reports, the management of the RTV public broadcaster decided last week to promptly request that the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) ban "Israel" from participating in next year's competition in Switzerland.

The council also voted for two other resolutions; one that calls for Slovenia to back out if the Israeli occupation does participate, and another that calls for the suppression of the Israeli performance.

Last year, Eurovision rejected demands to disqualify "Israel" from the competition, insisting that “the Eurovision Song Contest remains a non-political event that unites audiences worldwide through music.”

At the time, at least 20,000 Palestinians were brutally killed in "Israel's" ongoing genocidal war.

It is worth noting that Eurovision has in the past excluded countries from participation for political reasons.

In 2022, Russia faced exclusion from the competition due to widespread criticism from various countries following the war in Ukraine. Russia did not participate in the competition the following year. Initially, the EBU stated that they had no intentions of barring Russia from the event but later reversed their stance. The group claimed to have conducted extensive consultations with its members and decided based on a recommendation from the governing body of the Eurovision Song Contest.

“The decision reflects concern that, in light of the unprecedented crisis in Ukraine, the inclusion of a Russian entry in this year’s contest would bring the competition into disrepute,” they said.