The letter, signed by over 1,000 artists, calls for Israel to be banned from next month’s contest in Vienna
The No Music for Genocide campaign have released a new open letter signed by over 1,000 artists calling for Israel to be banned from Eurovision.
Massive Attack, IDLES, Kneecap, Brian Eno and Sigur Rós are among the huge list of names that have signed the letter, which comes after Eurovision organisers decided in December not to hold a vote about whether or not to disqualify Israel from the 2026 contest, which takes place next month in Vienna.
“A large majority of Members agreed that there was no need for a further vote on participation and that the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 should proceed as planned, with the additional safeguards in place,” the European Broadcasting Union, a group of broadcasters that air the contest in 56 countries, said in a statement.
In their own statement about the open letter, the organisers of No Music for Genocide said: “Every year, for its entire 53-year tenure as a Eurovision participant, Israel has perpetuated its terrorising systems of apartheid, torture, land theft, and military occupation against Palestinians from the river to the sea with complete impunity. While many of us in the industry make light of Eurovision or doubt our own power as cultural producers, genocidal Israel’s leaders speak openly about the contest’s geopolitical value.
“NMFG stands with and amplifies the incredible grassroots organising efforts across Europe to boycott Eurovision until Israel is banned. From PACBI to direct actionists, from Film Workers For Palestine in Hollywood to striking dockworkers in Italy and Morocco, people of conscience around the globe are fighting complicity in every industry for a free Palestine and a freer world.”
The NMFG campaign had previously signed up artists including Clairo, Lucy Dacus and more to remove their music from streaming services in Israel. Massive Attack also launched an alliance for musicians who are facing “intimidations from within” the music industry over their support of Palestine and Gaza. The band’s Robert del Naja was arrested at a Palestine Action protest in London this month.
You can sign the open letter here and read it in full below.
Continue Reading HERE
They had security snatch palestinian flags because seeing footage of peoples’ support offended their sponsors.
Massive attack just released a song with Tom Waits called Boots on the Ground, it’s pretty good
Thanks, didn’t know! I love Massive Attack and I recommend seeing them live. They are way better than you would expect from a decades old band.
last time they toured my continent was 16 years ago, so I’m pretty doubtful I will ever see them live
But… I just saw in Israeli media that ten mostly no-name Zionist artists have signed an opposite tribune, what am I to think? /s
The doublespeak is strong these days
A load of non-Europeans campaigned that a non-European genocidal regime country should partake in a European competition that has lost 5 of it’s European countries because the genocidal regime country is partaking in it.
Eurovision should change their heart logo to a noose, if they love supporting that country where ministers wear a noose pin on their suits
Fuck kahanism and zionism
But… Where is Bono??
This article describes his thoughts and his opinions on Israel best. He seems to have clammed up since then.
As someone who grew up in the '80s, no single person has ever disappointed me as much as Bono.
Let them get nil points
Israel should be allowed to participate. It’s like the Olympics. Politics should not be involved.
Russia is banned because of its invasion of Ukraine. Not banning Israel for similar actions is political.
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This is Eurovision’s explanation. From https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/eurovision-2026-israel-russia-boycotts-explainer/1x47p6or9
The spokesperson added that Russian broadcasters were widely considered to be “very close to the Russian government” when they were excluded, and were suspended from the EBU for “breach of public service values”.
They noted that the organisations were placed under sanctions by the European Union and Swiss authorities.
Eurovision said that Israel’s public broadcaster, Kan, remained a member of the EBU and that the EBU had “supported it in resisting attempts by the government to shut it down or restrict its ability to operate sustainably and independently”.
And Israeli broadcasters are widely considered to be what?
Entire countries have boycotted the Olympics over politics.
Yes, but that’s voluntarily. It’s not the same as banning a country over politics.
“Politics” is a doing a lot of heavy lifting for Genocide and ethnic cleansing.
It’s always “politics” or “opinions” with people who know the views they support are absolutely heinous
As long as the submitted song does not do the heavy lifting, it’s acceptable.
It wasn’t voluntary for many of the athletes who didn’t compete, they were at the mercy of where they happened to live. Very much like how Israelis don’t live in Europe.
They don’t have to. There just has to be Israelis in the European Broadcasting Union.
5 countries have already boycotted the competition because of them.
That’s their right, just as a country can boycott the Olympics.
Yes, that was my point. You’re flip flopping back to the point somebody else made to you above. in any case, 5 countries are not in the competition so that a genocidal regime country can partake. if the EBU allows them to continue in the competition, they are condoning the murdering of children and thousands of innocent people.
That’s not political.
Incorrect because Eurovision should not be political. In the 2026 Winter Olympics, a Ukrainian bobsledder was not allowed to compete because he refused to change a helmet that had the names of people killed in Ukraine. This doesn’t mean the Olympic Committee condones Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. It means the Olympics should be about sports not politics.
Incorrect because Eurovision should not be political.
It’s not about politics, Morally and ethically, allowing an Israeli representative to dance around the stage and sing while their country has killed thousands of innocent people, starved over 2 million, started illegal wars, used illegal weapons, has their current leader wanted for war crimes is condoning all of that. They have banned participants for much, much less. They have already had to change the rules once due to Israels suspected cheating anyway, so think of this as the ban that should have happened years ago.
I’m not European, so I don’t know too much about Eurovision.
It seems to me, that it is quite a safe, nonviolent, positive action that people can take to voice dissent on an international scale.
I suppose you are correct that Eurovision ‘isnt about politics’…but ethically speaking im not sure that I agree. It isnt going to hurt Israel all that much but it may help for some people to recognize that they are doing naughty bad violent things.
If you dont mind telling, what country do you live in?
Politics is already involved tho? Whenever they tak about the war it’s how how many “palestinian soldiers died” and how many “Israeli people were killed.”
They also have security actively snatching palestinian flags from audience because they don’t want supporters to show up on footage.
I’m sure security would snatch Israeli flags because Eurovision should be about music not politics.
Exactly. I’m 100% sure they would never allow an Israeli flag on the stage or allowing some artist becoming a political tool
The difference could be the context. Waving Palestinian flags as part of a protest is different than a winner from Israel displaying the Israeli flag. There’s nothing wrong with an Olympic athlete running around with its nation’s flag after a win.
She did not win AND the song she sang was a modified version of “October rain”, that has obvious political lyrics
Different lyrics but same music = dog whistle
One of the spanish broadcasters literally talked about Hamas attacks on Israel and got warned for mentioning Israeli attacks on Plaestine later tho. How apolitical can it be?
Israel immediately sent in a very political song that got rejected. Their second pick was also too political. Yeah, politics is involved.
Yes, but not regarding whether the country can participtate.
It’s not a European country.
It lies in the ITU Europe region.
Doesn’t have to be. It only has to have active members in the European Broadcasting Union.
Since military service is mandatory for all Israeli citizens, you can’t really separate their politics from art.
Germany also has mandatory military service.
There are other, far more compelling reasons that Israel shouldn’t be included.
Not all citizens. The people insane enough to be “proper” jews are exempt.
When Olivia Dean won the Grammy nomination for best new artist, she praised immigrants but the song she sang on the show, Man I Need has nothing to do with politics.
Why ban Russia then?
This is Eurovision’s explanation. From https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/eurovision-2026-israel-russia-boycotts-explainer/1x47p6or9
The spokesperson added that Russian broadcasters were widely considered to be “very close to the Russian government” when they were excluded, and were suspended from the EBU for “breach of public service values”.
They noted that the organisations were placed under sanctions by the European Union and Swiss authorities.
Eurovision said that Israel’s public broadcaster, Kan, remained a member of the EBU and that the EBU had “supported it in resisting attempts by the government to shut it down or restrict its ability to operate sustainably and independently”.
Alright, Avery Brundage.
I am fully against the genocide.
That being said, eurovision is SHIT by a bunch of television network who don’t know shit about music. It suck dicks and it should be forbidden for its artistic mockery alone.
Leave that shit and let them have it with germany, the UK and the other genocidal powers
Broadening the tent to include fascists normalises them, lending credibility where there should only be contempt.
Eurovision is a very popular show. If we allow its campy nationalism to be a vehicle for humanising unapologetic fascism then we reduce the hope that the public will bring electoral pressure on the Europe wide leaderships that have been supporting and providing diplomatic cover for the genocide in Israel.
What if the tent was a shithole? I don’t want my country to be in the tent
The only way you can guarantee to keep it off your own TV is by changing channel. It’s a very popular show. Which is why it is being pressured to stop hosting Israel.
Let them silence the boos. Gaff as they try and cover up and silence the hosts.
Let them hold the sword by the blade if they want it so bad.
Hey now, Moldova pretty consistently sends an absolute fire entry.
