Former Eurovision Contestants Call For Israel’s Exclusion From The Contest

A group of more than 30 Icelandic Eurovision participants have joined dozens of artists from 13 countries in calling on the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) to exclude Israel from the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest.

The open letter, published yesterday by the organisation Artists for Palestine UK, accuses the EBU of double standards and urges it to revoke Israel’s participation, citing ongoing violence in Gaza and the politicisation of the contest.

The signatories include musicians, songwriters, costume designers and performers, among them Eurovision winners Salvador Sobral (Portugal, 2017) and Charlie McGettigan (Ireland, 1994), as well as recent contestants like Norway’s GÅTE (2024) and the UK’s Mae Muller (2023).

From Iceland, artists such as Páll Óskar, Svala Björgvins, Eyþór Ingi, Eiríkur Hauksson, members of Hatari, Daði Freyr and Gagnamagnið, Systur, and Pálmi Gunnarsson have signed the appeal.

The letter states that the 2024 contest, where the Israeli delegation was reportedly granted special immunity while other participants faced censorship, was “the most political and uncomfortable in Eurovision history.” It claims that allowing Israel to compete while silencing others has eroded the integrity of the event.

The EBU banned Russia from Eurovision in 2022 after its invasion of Ukraine, citing the organisation’s core values. Critics say failing to apply the same standard to Israel amid its military actions in Gaza reveals a “blatant double standard.”

The controversy has escalated in Iceland. Foreign Minister Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir recently said it was inappropriate for Israel to participate, and public broadcaster RÚV has raised the issue with the EBU. However, no action has been taken so far.

In response, a domestic petition urging RÚV to withdraw Iceland from Eurovision 2025 if Israel is allowed to participate has now gathered nearly 4,900 signatures.

“We believe in the unifying power of music, which is why we refuse to allow music to be used as a tool to whitewash crimes against humanity,” the artists’ statement reads. They urge the EBU to act immediately.