Eurovision cowards cancel vote on ‘Israel’ ban

The 1800s-style land theft project often referred to as ‘Israel’ has received a reprieve on potential banishment from the annual Eurovision song contest. Organisers the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) have called off a November vote that was due to take place on the continued involvement of the fake state. In a statement, the craven body said:

In the light of recent developments in the Middle East, the EBU’s executive board (meeting on October 13) agreed there was a clear need to organise an open and in-person discussion among its members on the issue of participation in the Eurovision Song Contest 2026.

Consequently, the board agreed to put the issue on the agenda of its ordinary winter general assembly, which will be taking place in December, rather than organising an extraordinary session in advance.

So, vague pledges to “put the issue on the agenda” replace a specifically arranged vote that could have seen the Zionist entity expelled. Due to it being an apartheid, ethnic cleansing, occupying, genocidal terror project, the entity is heavily dependent on events like Eurovision to whitewash its horrifying crimes. It is therefore extremely concerning that the EBU seems keen to quietly sweep the issue under the carpet now that the most acute phase of Zionist genocide in Palestine may (may) have passed.

Eurovision organiser EBU passing the buck and dodging the question

The Eurovision coordinator has already tiptoed around the issue, holding a consultation process on the matter that started in July. It said:

We understand the concerns and deeply held views around the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. It is up to each member to decide if they want to take part in the contest, and we would respect any decision broadcasters make.

Then, rather than make a decision itself, it passed the buck by organising a vote. This would have been a simple majority, meaning that 35 of the 68 EBU members would have needed to signal their approval to trigger ejection of ‘Israel’. Member states include countries from West Asia and North Africa such as Algeria, Egypt, Jordan and Lebanon, at least some of whom would have likely voted for removal. Now even the ballot has been abandoned. The shitshow mirrors the feeble FIFA’s failure to kick the settler-colony out of the World Cup, another crucial reputation laundering point for Zionism.

The EBU had been pressured into the potential vote by a number of countries threatening to withdraw if the pseudo-state squatting on Palestine was granted continued participation. RTÉ, Ireland’s national broadcaster, had said:

RTÉ feels that Ireland’s participation would be unconscionable given the ongoing and appalling loss of lives in Gaza. RTÉ is also deeply concerned by the targeted killing of journalists in Gaza, and the denial of access to international journalists to the territory, and the plight of the remaining hostages.

Iceland, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Spain had also expressed an intention to leave the 2026 Eurovision contest. Spain’s Culture Minister Ernest Urtasun stated:

What I can say is that if Israel takes part, and if we don’t manage to get it thrown out, then we’ll have to take steps [such as withdrawing]. I don’t think we can normalise Israel’s participation in international forums as if nothing’s happened.

Even if the genocide has slowed, the Zionist entity still must be boycotted

The last few words from Urtasun elucidate a key point that is even more relevant in the wake of the recent developments in Palestine. Simply because there’s now a ceasefire, ‘Israel’ cannot be allowed to escape without consequence for its recent crimes, which are perhaps unparalleled in cruelty. Furthermore, its system of apartheid persists, and it must be ostracised just as apartheid South Africa was.

Letting the Zionist abomination compete in events like Eurovision is a breach of Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) anti-normalisation guidelines. The Palestinian Campaign For The Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel (PACBI) arm of the BDS movement calls for a “boycott of Israeli academic and cultural institutions” for their role in an:

…Israeli system of oppression that has denied Palestinians their basic rights guaranteed by international law, or has hampered their exercise of these rights, including freedom of movement and freedom of expression.

Whether or not it has ended its annihilation of Gaza, the above still applies. The EBU must either expel ‘Israel’ or let its members vote to do so.

Featured image via the Canary