Already last year, before the Eurovision Songfestival, a violent debate was fueled for the participation of Israel. The background was the war in the Gaza Strip. Eventually the Israeli participant Eden Golan participated in the competition, but was exposed to permanent hostility. The pressure on the organizers is also extremely high this year. 71 Former ESC participants want to exclude Israel and have written an open letter.
In the letter, which bears the signatures of the French wife La Zarra, the Portuguese winner of 2017, Salvador SoBral, and the current prize winner Nemo from Switzerland, a debate about the participation of Israel is required. Spain and other countries have also become members of this requirement.
Below you can see a recording of the rehearsals of Tolk Yuval Raphael, who wants to start at the 69th number competition in Basel for Israel:
Nemo: “Israel violates fundamentally Eurovision values”
“I do not support that Israel (in the Eurovision Song Contest) is participating,” Nemo (25) told the online portal “Huffpost UK”. And in an additional statement, the open non-intimic person said: “I call support to exclude Israel from the ESC. The approach of Israel violates the values that pretend to keep track of the Eurovision-Peace, unity and respect for human rights.”
Nemo won the ESC in Malmö 2024 with the song “The Code”. That is why this year’s edition takes place in the Swiss border town of Basel from 13 to 17 May.
Singer survived Hamas’ terrorist attack
The European Radio Union (EBU) normally wakes up to keep the ESC competition as apolitical as possible. But Israel wants to send a survivor of the Hamas massacre from 7 October 2023 to Basel with the 24-year-old singer Yuval Raphael.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
