Ireland, Spain, Slovenia and the Netherlands will boycott next year’s Eurovision after Israel was given the all-clear to compete in the 2026 song contest despite calls by several participating broadcasters for its exclusion over the war in Gaza.

No vote on Israel’s participation was held on Thursday at the general assembly of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), the body that organises the hugely popular international annual singing competition.

Instead, participating broadcasters voted only to introduce new rules designed to stop governments and third parties from disproportionately promoting songs to influence voters.

  • NoiseColor @lemmy.world
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    10 days ago

    I hope the whole thing dies. It’s just bizarre beyond belief that this love fest pride music festival is siding with genocide. It’s disgusting l, sickening.

    • empireOfLove2@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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      10 days ago

      Genocide doesn’t even enter their vocabulary. They see dollar signs, and Istael has a lot of dollar signs, therefore every other possible action is completely irrelevant.

  • Babalugats@feddit.uk
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    10 days ago

    Spain, Ireland, Slovenia and the Netherlands (so far) to hold the all new “euramazing competition”

    Showcasing undiscovered talent and theatrics from European countries, without exception to prevent any bullshit further down the line.

    Not European? Fuck off.

      • boonhet@sopuli.xyz
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        8 days ago

        So there’s different definitions of the word. In my language, there’s two separate words. There’s the more political one that has Europe and Asia separate, but the Americas together and then the one that more accurately reflects geography, where the Americas are two continents, but Eurasia is one.

  • Skiluros@sh.itjust.works
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    10 days ago

    Why the hell was Israel allowed to participate? It’s not like there is any sort of ecoconomic loss from kicking Israel out.

    • UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world
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      10 days ago

      Why the hell was Israel allowed to participate?

      The Jewish State of Israel has been competing in Eurovision for over 3000 years. They have a long and established legacy of being in the contest. I was digging around in the Levant and I even found an old trophy and some VHS tapes from the 3rd century AD with an Israeli winner’s name printed on it.

      Suggesting that they should not be allowed to participate is anti-semitic. It is a clear violation of the most basic and fundamental human rights of the Israeli people. And it is a clear attempt to silence the beautiful voices of the only nation on the coast of the Mediterranean that champions life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

      Your comments are being registered. Your personal id has been recorded. Bombers are headed to your position. I hope you realize what an awful person you are for suggesting Israel shouldn’t be allowed to participate during your last 8 minutes of existence.

    • Iheartcheese@lemmy.world
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      10 days ago

      Didn’t Eurovision ban pride flags last year?

      They are doing this because they are shit people and so is their remaining audience.

  • Viking_Hippie@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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    10 days ago

    A large majority of members agreed that there was no need for a further vote

    Yeah, “we didn’t vote because most of us didn’t think it was necessary” is some Israeli hasbara level bullshit! 🤦🤬

    • Aceticon@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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      9 days ago

      Oh, I wouldn’t at all be surprised if a lot of national delegates quietly and behind closed doors expressed a will for there not to be a public vote, since they did not want it their support for the Genocidal state of Israel to be on record and publicly known.

      In Politics (and Eurovision is much more Politics than Art) many if not most things are really decided behind closed doors either without a vote or with a rigged vote - politicias abhor transparency and accountability.

  • qevlarr@lemmy.world
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    10 days ago

    Rare win for my country on the issue of Gaza. Disappointing EBU are letting Israel compete.

    • Siegfried@lemmy.world
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      9 days ago

      Only 4 countries are boycotting israel in a music festival, and this is after seeing israel real face for what? 2 years? Now that “they are in peace” i wouldnt expect the number to go up

  • D_C@sh.itjust.works
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    10 days ago

    The countries should all state they are ending their boycott with the statement of “we are back in, and we will definitely not be singing about how all israeli’s are murderous genocidal war mongers ;⁠-⁠);⁠-⁠). See you there.”