As of: January 30, 2024, 6:17 a.m
By: Yannick Hanke
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Call for exclusion in Malmö: More than 1,000 musicians from this year's ESC host country Sweden do not want Israel to take part in the major music event.
Stockholm – Will this year's Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) take place without Israel?
At least that is the aim of more than 1,000 Swedish artists who are calling on the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) to exclude the war-torn country from the major music event.
Exclusion of Israel from the ESC?
More than 1000 artists from Sweden with an open letter
On Monday (January 29), Swedish newspaper
Aftonbladet
published an open letter signed by well-known musicians such as Robyn, Fever Ray and indie folk duo First Aid Kit.
Sweden will host the ESC in 2024.
The artists from the Scandinavian country criticize the EBU's decision to allow Israel to continue participating in the competition.
This is despite the “brutal warfare in Gaza,” as the letter says.
Former Swedish representatives at the Eurovision Song Contest also signed the open letter.
For example, Eric Saade, who took third place at the ESC in 2011 with “Popular,” and opera singer Malena Ernman, who performed “La Voix” in 2009.
Well-known musicians from Sweden, including Fever Ray (left) and Robyn, have signed an open letter - so that Israel will not take part in the ESC in 2024.
© Gonzales Photo/imago/Montage
If the name sounds familiar outside of the music: she is the mother of climate activist Greta Thunberg.
The young Swede had already prominently criticized Israel's actions in Gaza.
At the same time, she also promoted support for pro-Palestinian groups that had previously attracted attention with anti-Semitic theses.
This in turn brought Thunberg criticism.
EBU with double standards?
Israel is still allowed to take part in the ESC 2024 – Russia and Belarus were recently excluded
By pointing out the non-political nature of the music event, the ESC organizers had previously opposed calls for Israel to be excluded.
Now the EBU is being accused of double standards by Swedish artists.
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Background: In their letter they pointed out that after Russia's attack on Ukraine in 2022, no Russian musicians were allowed to take part in the ESC and that Belarus was denied participation in 2021 due to violations of press freedom.
ESC countries criticize Israel for the Gaza war – and the victims among the civilian population
Excluding Israel from the ESC 2024 has already been suggested by other countries.
Criticism has become increasingly louder, particularly because of the victims among the civilian population in Gaza.
Icelandic television had already announced that it would only decide together with the winner of the national preliminary round whether they would take part in the ESC final in Malmö on May 11th, when Israel is there.
The now 68th ESC - which is witnessing the comeback of an icon - is taking place in Sweden this year after singer Loreen won last year's competition in Liverpool with the song “Tattoo” for the Scandinavian country.
At the beginning of December, the EBU published a list of 37 participating broadcasters - including KAN from Israel.
(han/dpa)