Spain's 'Podemos' urges Eurovision boycott over Israeli participation
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After the Israeli singer changed her song and the new one got accepted, the Leader of Podemos's Spanish party called on countries to boycott Eurovision amid Israeli participation.
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Ione Belarra at the Sectoral Conference on the Rights of Children and Adolescents on October 11, 2023. ( X / @ionebelarra)
The leader of Spain's leftist Podemos party called "all democratic countries" to boycott Eurovision as it has approved "Israel's" participation.
"If Israel, which is committing genocide, is going to Eurovision, no country that considers itself democratic and a defender of human rights should participate. It's a disgusting cover-up," Ione Belarra posted on X on March 7.
If Israel, which is committing genocide, is going to Eurovision, no country that considers itself democratic and a defender of human rights should participate. It's a disgusting cover-up. https://t.co/RSXL5kkCGr
— Ione Belarra (@ionebelarra) March 7, 2024
Viva la Palestine
Since January, Podemos has been actively trying to stop "Israel" from partaking in the Eurovision Song Contest over the occupation's genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.
Even though other parties have not backed Podemos, the latter submitted a motion to parliament asking that the Spanish Radio and Television Corporation (RTVE), through the Foreign Ministry, take a step towards urging "Israel's" boycott from Eurovision.
The party also sent a letter to European parliamentarians of some parties, such as the United Left in Spain, the Galician Nationalist Bloc, Sumar, and organizers of Eurovision, requesting "Israel's" boycott from this year's competition for its genocide against Gaza.
Read more: Chile, Spain call for ceasefire in Gaza, say silence 'unacceptable'
From threatening to being humbled down
On March 7, Eurovision News posted on X that the Israeli song "Hurricane" had been approved.
"Hurricane" is another song by Israeli singer Eden Golan, based on the same melody as her previous controversial "October Rain" song, however, it deals with her personal life issues instead.
On March 4, an Israeli broadcaster revealed that the lyrics to "October Rain" had been changed after it was labeled too political" noting that the Israeli occupation previously threatened on February 25 that it would withdraw from Eurovision if the song was vetoed.
Israeli song “Hurricane” got the EBU approval and they will participate in Eurovision 2024!
— Eurovision News (@EurovisionNewZ) March 7, 2024
The song will be out on March 10th at 8:30PM CET 🇮🇱 pic.twitter.com/aBLMHCsPsU
Earlier in February, reports stated that the song, which is largely in English with some Hebrew phrases, references the unfolding events of the Palestinian Resistance's operation on October 7, a violation Eurovision regulations, which prohibit political remarks.
However, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) stated merely that it was "currently in the process of scrutinizing the lyrics" and that a final judgment had not yet been made.
"If a song is deemed unacceptable for any reason, broadcasters are then given the opportunity to submit a new song or new lyrics, as per the rules of the Contest," according to the statement.
Outcries and empty threats
The possibility of the ban sparked an outcry among Israelis, knowing that the EBU earlier rejected requests for "Israel" to be excluded from competing due to the war on Gaza, which has killed more than 30,000 Palestinians in 156 days only.
The Israeli Kan TV channel announced on February 22 that it was "in dialogue" with the EBU over "Israel's" Eurovision participation.
"It should be noted that, as far as the Israel Broadcasting Corporation is concerned, there is no intention to replace the song," the channel wrote at the time.
