Finnish artists urge Yle to exclude Israel from Eurovision due to alleged “war crimes.” Over 1,400 music professionals support this action.
More than 1,400 music professionals demand action from public broadcaster Yle to exclude Israel from Eurovision.
A petition has been launched urging Finland’s public broadcaster, Yle, to withdraw the country’s entry from the Eurovision Song Contest if Israel is not excluded from the competition. The petition, led by Lukas Korpelainen, argues that Israel’s participation is unacceptable as an attempt to improve its image. Notable Finnish artists, including Olavi Uusivirta, Paleface, and Axel Ehnström, who represented Finland in 2011, have signed the petition.
The signatories accuse Yle of double standards, pointing out its swift call to ban Russia from the 2022 contest in the aftermath of the Ukraine invasion. Yle’s response emphasized the distinction between the situations in Israel and Ukraine, with the broadcaster pledging to monitor the stance of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), the contest organizer. Yle’s head of communications, Jere Nurminen, stated that the company is engaged in discussions with the EBU and other public broadcasters while also planning to meet with the petition’s authors.
In December, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) issued a statement emphasizing that Eurovision is intended for broadcasters, not governments. The EBU stated that Israel, having participated for 50 years, complies with all competition rules, and they underscored that the Eurovision contest is a non-political event. The BBC sought comments from Israel’s culture ministry and public broadcaster Kan.
The upcoming Eurovision will be held in Malmö, Sweden, with the United Kingdom represented by Olly Alexander. Alexander faced controversy for endorsing a statement accusing Israel of genocide, leading to a response from an Israeli official who dismissed the claims as absurd. The official accused signatories of displaying anti-Israel bias.
The statement provides additional context related to the conflict in Gaza, detailing the casualties and displacement caused by the military campaign and the blockade imposed by the Israeli military. UN agencies report severe humanitarian challenges in Gaza, including food shortages and catastrophic hunger.
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