Eurovision New Zealand has existed since, and participated in, every Eurovision Song Contest for nearly the last decade. We have loved everything about this show, except what has occurred this year.
The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has permitted the state broadcasting arm of an apartheid regime who, according to the International Court of Justice, is âplausiblyâ committing genocide in Gaza, to abuse the Eurovision Song Contest to propagandize their destructive and illegal aggression in Palestine. Israelâs public broadcaster, KAN, have already abused the Eurovision platform in this way, and they will continue to do so.
Israelâs ruthless bombardment continues to kill Palestinians in Gaza at a staggering rate.
Since the start of the Israeli operation, more than 34,000 Palestinians in Gaza have been killed, with a majority consisting of over 14,000 children and 9,000 women. Nearly all of the stripâs 2.3 million population has been internally displaced. Israelâs tightened blockade cut off food, water and medicine, and its attacks on infrastructure have led to a humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip, including a collapse of the healthcare system and an ongoing famine. Israeli forces have destroyed or damaged more than half of Gazaâs houses, at least a third of its tree cover and farmland, most of its schools, all of its twelve universities, hundreds of cultural landmarks, and dozens of cemeteries.
The shockingly high death toll, widespread destruction, engineered hunger and malnutrition, deliberate denial of humanitarian aid as part of an illegal siege, racist and dehumanizing rhetoric by Israeli officials, and the wider context of Israelâs apartheid system are all warning signs of genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.
In our view, a state that has been found to be âplausiblyâ committing genocide has no place at Eurovision. The EBU does not share that view.
It is now up to the rest of us to decide our complicity in the EBUâs decision. If Israelâs participation at Eurovision concerns you, you have power and agency as a Eurovision fan.
For many, Eurovision is a source of comfort and belonging. While we condemn the EBU, its leadership, and the Eurovision Song Contest Reference Group for their actions, we donât begrudge those who will continue to watch, chat, and enjoy this yearâs Show.
If you run a fan website, like us, you can choose not to cover this yearâs Contest or do so slightly differently. If youâre part of the community online, you can choose to talk less about the Contest or about Israelâs delegation. You can avoid engaging in posts from the EBUâs official social media accounts. If youâre a viewer, you can change the channel during Israelâs performances. You can even choose to skip this yearâs show entirely.
The EBU has caused irrevocable harm to our beloved Contest. We must deploy whatever power we have to prevent further harm and demonstrate our deep distress at what has occurred.
This Eurovision, this war, is not normal. The values that brought us all together as Eurofans are being abused and contorted by people who never believed in them in the first place. We are standing up against it, and we hope you will join us too.