Slovenia Demands Israel's Removal From Eurovision 2025

The UK was not banned from taking part after invading Afghanistan, or after the invasion of Iraq. Russia was still allowed to take part after invading and annexing Crimea.

I'd gone because I love Eurovision and it was a change from meeting my friend in here home country.

Wed been to Liverpool the year before.

It really changed the atmosphere. The atmosphere in Malmö was tense. The atmosphere in the stadium was tense. (Thankfully we'd been staying in Copenhagen which wasn't sucked into this).

We just didn't want to get involved - we were there for fun - and talking to people, a lot of others felt the same. I'm sure it will put others off this year.

I also think Switzerland is much more accessible for large protests this year too.

We saw the police motorcade for the Israeli contingent. It was unreal. I've seen the UK PM's motorcade before and it was on a par with that. It was insane. They clearly thought the risk was that high and thats sobering. I can't imagine being another contestant WITHOUT any security in the same atmosphere. If the Israeli contingent needed that much security then everyone else was wise to distance themselves and potentially even be critical in the context of having no security themselves. You'd be insane to be plastering yourself all over the internet next to the Israeli contingent and honestlu as crowd members able to recognise this, I do feel the other countries were badly let down by organisers. That's before accounting for Joost's fully acknowledged personal issues (highly likely to be neuro-diversity) and the extra protection he should have had.

We are steering well clear this year.

We had a good time, but honestly the over riding feeling was uncomfortable and that's lasted.

Given I knew prior to the event that Joost had issues this hasn't helped my view - it was being expressed that there was concern prior to the event - the focus was clearly all on Israel without consideration to anyone else. That's not ok. I hope that there isn't a repeat this year.

I suppose social media, TV and the internet have completely changed the impact of international sporting and cultural events, allowing political capital and narrative to attach themselves to the countries represented, and to influence world opinions. The original Olympics were unlikely to affect public relations on quite such a scale as Eurovision today, I suspect.

The EBU, which produces the event, said Russia's inclusion could bring the competition into disrepute "in light of the unprecedented crisis in Ukraine".

If Russias inclusion could bring the Eurovision into disrupute then it is fair to say the inclusion of an occupying, apartheid state taking part in the largest scale killing and maiming of children the world has seen for quite a while can do the same thing.

UK Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries tweeted: "Eurovision stands for freedom, unity and respect between countries - watched and enjoyed by tens of millions around the world. Glad to see Eurovision taking action and kicking Russia out."

I think we can all agree that Israel represents the very antithesis of 'unity and respect' with their repeated disregard for the International laws that bind us and keep us safe. If the argument was there for kicking Russia out the argument is more than there for an apartheid country ran by a war criminal.

I don't think any country's political situation should disallow them from Eurovision. It really should be about the competition, and all participants given equal respect.

The original Olympics allowed competitors safe passage through warring states as the Olympics were considered separate from war. Why can't Eurovision be like that? Just a chance to enjoy the songs from around Europe and beyond?

Slovenia should withdraw instead if she feels that strongly about it.

Deflection by the way is the well known strategy of trying to shut down discussion - through diversion, affected outrage, personal insults, etc - when there is no prospect of winning on the facts. It’s well known that this is what staunch defenders of Israel’s right to commit genocide increasingly throw their energy into.

It would be so much easier for you if we went along with your deflection attempt and spoke about Saudi Arabia instead of Israel. It’s not a race to the bottom though, so let’s stick with the programme!

What’s my narrative?

Extremely dishonest to say you don't know whether it's better as a female to live in SA or Israel. Should be straightforward really.

@wanderingstar23 your ability to blame anything on ‘deflection’ that doesn’t fit your narrative is staggering.

After an attack on October 7th 2023, Israel defended itself. There were numerous further attacks by rockets launched from Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis and Iran. As a citizen in the UK, if a hostile state were to launch attacks on my country or city, I would like my Government to protect me.

I’m a bit confused.. Why are you blaming the Israeli contingent for behaving “appallingly”for wanting photo ops ( Isn’t that pretty normal?)
Why not blame the people who were posing the risk and causing “the shed load of abuse”?
Regardless of how bad Israel’s government has been ( and there are many reasons to criticise the Israeli government) I don’t think it’s fair for the Israeli contestants to be at risk , to be abused or to be ostracised by other performers.

@RedToothBrush It's a shame such an event became so tense. It should be light-hearted fun, and I expect it costs a fair amount to go and see the event in person. I am sorry to hear that it turned into a stressful event for participants and the audience as well, by the sounds of it. I'd hope it would bring people together, but the situation in Gaza is so controversial that it can't be ignored.

They were trying to pressure the other contestants into photo ops, knowing that doing so would put them potentially at risk because they didn't have noodles of security and were getting a shed load of abuse. And then accused them of anti semitism for understanding that they were totally exposed to the numerous anti Israeli protests that were going on in Malmö...

It was tone deaf to the posters and protests around the city.

The other contestants didn't have much of a choice.

The Israeli contingent behaved appallingly. How so? The contestant had to be confined to her hotel suite because of death threats. Did any other contestants have this experience?

Another deflection. Similar to the racists who tried to claim that people who weren’t from South Africa couldn’t possibly understand what was really going on.

No they haven't. I have many dear friends from Israel and have worked in a Jewish school in Spain. Even back then in the nineties, the security measures in place gave you an idea of how many people want to kill Jews.

I think the Israeli contingent behaved appallingly last year. That alone should get them banned tbh.

But the main sponsor.

And ultimately rightly or wrongly that's what it comes down to and Eurovision probably are contracted so they can't dump them and survive the legal challenge...

@YourAmplePlumPoster you don't honestly think any of these posters have any actual knowledge of Israel let alone have visited?

@wanderingstar23 I think that works either way to be honest.

Your deflection isn't going to change Israel's apartheid ways.

Well girls, where would you rather live: Israel or Saudi Arabia?

Israel is an apartheid state, if you want to believe it isn't then you will at the least have to accept it is heading that way more and more. So much outrage by Israeli fans over an Arab goalie that he was kicked out of the team. So don't even start with all the Israel is the only country in the middle east where everyone is treated equally.

https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/israeli-soccer-team-releases-arab-goalie-after-fan-outrage-over-appearance-for-palestinian-national-team-report/#openwebComments