JJ demands ESC exclusion of Israel: ORF reacts to controversy!

JJ demands ESC exclusion of Israel: ORF reacts to controversy!

Austria's Eurovision winner JJ has made controversial statements to participate in Israel in the upcoming Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) in the past few days. In an interview with the Spanish newspaper El País expressed his wishes for the ESC 2024, of the ESC 2024 should take place in Vienna. He explained that it was "very disappointing" that Israel continues to participate in the competition, especially during the current military commitment in Gaza.

JJ criticized the continued participation of Israel and expresses hope that the next ESC in Vienna will take place without Israel. "It is very disappointing that Israel is still taking part in the competition," said his clear announcement. However, these statements do not stand for the attitude of the Austrian radio (ORF), which emphasizes that JJS only reflects his private opinion and are not related to the transmitter. The ORF emphasizes that the artistic performances and music should be in the foreground at the ESC, and not political questions.

a sign against war?

In terms of the vote in the last competition, in which JJ took first place with his song "Wasted Love" and achieved 436 points, he share his skepticism: "I find the vote very strange," he said, while Israel achieved second place with 357 points. These concerns about the vote are also based on the circumstances of the political situation and the implementation of the competition.

The European Radio Union (EBU), which organizes the ESC, defended the participation of Israel. She makes it clear that she is a Union of public broadcasters and not the governments. An EBU spokesman emphasized how important the Israeli member can be and emphasized the need to protect it from privatization or closure by the Israeli government. In addition, it is important to the EBU to receive the ESC as a universal event that promotes diversity through music.

In a broader context, JJ tries to stimulate a debate about equal treatment in the competition. He draws comparisons between the situation in Israel and Russia's invasion in Ukraine, although it should be noted that Russia has been excluded from participation in the Eurovision Song Contest since 2022. This discrepancy has led to discussions in many in the music world, including an open letter of 70 former Eurovision participants who also advocate the exclusion of Israel.

future of competition and reactions

The EBU has not yet confirmed whether there will be changes to the conditions of participation for future competitions. Ebu director Martin Green announced extensive discussions with the participating broadcasters to clarify how the current political tensions should be dealt with. The developments related to the ESC and the possible participation of Israel are being pursued with tension and could have far -reaching consequences for the future of competition.

for the ESC 2025 it is already planned that it will take place in Basel, Switzerland, while the competition in Malmö, Sweden will take place in Malmö in 2024. JJS statements and the associated discussions keep the topic of geopolitical tensions and cultural diversity in focus, which remains of great importance for the upcoming competitions in the context of the Eurovision Song Contest.