Broadcasters in Spain, Ireland and Slovenia will not air Eurovision after anti-Israel boycott
The countries, along with Iceland and the Netherlands, are not competing this year in protest.
Despite strong opposition from five member states leading to their eventual boycott of the competition, the Eurovision Song Contest allowed Israeli contestant Noam Bettan to participate in Tuesday night’s semi-final. The crowd wasn’t too pleased with him and he started his song ‘Michelle’ to cries of “stop the genocide” from the audience.
Quoting local newspaper Österreich, The Times of Israel reported two people were removed from the venue over the chants, which could be heard in the show’s live broadcast. Accounts on social media posted footage from the broadcast with audible chants.
The incident follows protests in Vienna, including one where demonstrators placed coffins in the city centre. At the site, 67-year-old Karin Spindlberger told AFP, “Israel has become an aggressor.” She said music brings people together, “but not in this way”.
Protests planned throughout the week leading up to the final on Saturday are expected to draw around 3,000 people to the streets.
Eurovision director Martin Green said the protests and competition taking place simultaneously showed people could have differing opinions on something and coexist. “It is a profoundly good sign of a democracy where you can have this show happening on one side of the city and a protest happening on the other side and they can both coexist. Maybe the world can learn from that,” he said.
This year’s Israeli participation is a lot less politically charged than last year’s, when the country sent Yuval Raphael, a survivor of the October 7, 2023 attack that started Israel’s devastating war on Gaza.
This year’s participant, Bettan, has qualified for the final based on a cumulative score of jury and public votes. He is joined by acts from Belgium, Croatia, Finland, Greece, Lithuania, Moldova, Poland, Serbia and Sweden.
Ten more performers will qualify in the second semi-final on Thursday out of this year’s 35 participants — the lowest in 13 years. Hosts Austria, the UK, France, Germany and Italy also have guaranteed spots in the final.
Iceland, Ireland, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Spain have all boycotted the competition this year in protest against Israel’s participation.
Public broadcasters Spain, Ireland and Slovenia have gone so far as to announce they will not be airing Eurovision at all, with Slovenian RTV opting to run the thematic programme Voices of Palestine instead.
Israel meanwhile continues killing people in Gaza despite a ceasefire having been in place since October. Three more were killed on Sunday, with the total death toll from Israeli military actions standing at over 72,500.