Belgian ministers call for Israel's Eurovision exclusion amid Gaza war
Belgian Culture Minister Benedicte Linard and Flemish counterpart Benjamin Dalle have joined the growing chorus of voices advocating for Israel's exclusion
Two Belgian ministers have urged for Israel's removal from the Eurovision Song Contest as long as the war in Gaza persists, citing concerns over the impact on Palestinian civilians.
Belgian Culture Minister Benedicte Linard and Flemish counterpart Benjamin Dalle have joined the growing chorus of voices advocating for Israel's exclusion from Europe's prestigious music event.
Linard emphasized the need for consequences for what she described as Israel's "flagrant violations of international law" and the resulting casualties, particularly among children. She drew parallels with Russia's exclusion from competitions and Eurovision following its invasion of Ukraine.
Linard intends to convey Belgium's concerns to the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), the organizer of the Eurovision Song Contest, through the French-language public broadcaster RTBF, which oversees Belgium's participation in the event. Dalle echoed Linard's sentiments, suggesting that suspending Israel from Eurovision would be fitting given the suffering of Palestinian civilians.
The call for Israel's exclusion comes amid controversy surrounding the selection of Israel's entry for this year's contest.
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The Israeli submission, "October Rain" performed by soloist Eden Golan, faced scrutiny over its lyrics, which some interpreted as alluding to the victims of Hamas' actions that sparked the recent conflict. The EBU had raised concerns about the song's content, prompting Israel to agree to revise the lyrics.
Eurovision, scheduled to be held in the Swedish city of Malmo this year, promotes itself as a non-political event and has rules in place to disqualify contestants found to breach this principle. However, the ongoing conflict in Gaza has heightened sensitivities surrounding Israel's participation and raised questions about the event's stance on political issues.
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The European Broadcasting Union and Israeli authorities have yet to respond to the Belgian ministers' calls for Israel's exclusion from Eurovision.