ESC winner JJ demands: end with Israel at the Eurovision in Vienna!

ESC winner JJ demands: end with Israel at the Eurovision in Vienna!

The Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) 2025 is at the center of threatening controversy, especially with regard to the participation of Israel. In a recent interview, the Austrian ESC winner JJ (Johannes Pietsch) expressed his demand for Israel's exclusion from the event that is due to take place in Vienna next year. According to him, his concerns are based on the ongoing and critical situation in the Gaza Strip, where over 50,000 people were killed since the outbreak of fighting. "El País" reports that JJ is disappointed that Israel continues to participate in the competition, while many artists can only express their opinion, since the decision is ultimately due to the European Radio Union (EBU).

JJ is involved in a growing group of critics, which also includes the Swiss last year's winner Nemo. In an open letter to the EBU, over 70 former ESC participants have asked to exclude Israel from participating. The Israeli representative Yuval Raphael, who took second place in the ESC final in Basel with her song "New Day Will Rise", was the victim of a terrorist attack. She survived the attacks of October 7, 2023 during the Nova Music Festival and will also take part in the ESC in 2025.

criticism and protests in the context of the political situation

public broadcasters from Spain and Iceland support JJS claims and criticize Israel's participation in the competition due to the ongoing military conflicts. Demos under the motto "Escalate for Palestine" have been announced for the ESC event in Basel, which further illustrates the profound tensions about the competition. These protests are part of a greater movement that demands that the ESC remain a cultural event that is not influenced by political conflicts, despite the concerns regarding the human rights situation in Israel. [Huffington Post]

The EBU has emphasized that it understands the concerns about the conflict in the Middle East, but propagates the ESC as a universal event, which promotes diversity and inclusion. At the same time, however, there are signs of pressure on the participating countries. The allegations against the Israeli delegation during the last ESC were also not an isolated case, which led to changes in the Code of Conduct of the EBU for 2025. Many supporters of the BDS (Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions)-Movements call again to a boycott of Israeli participation. [Eurovision.de]

This situation is supported by several former ESC participants, including Salvador Sobral, who have expressed their concern on various platforms. 26 members of the European Parliament have also written open letters to draw attention to the problem. So far, however, the EBU sees no need for action, while Israel's National Security Council warns of Israelis to be careful during the ESC, especially with regard to the representation of Jewish or Israeli symbols.

After the switch -on rates of the ESC 2024 have fallen by about 25% in the United Kingdom, the question arises: Will the ESC 2025 continue to be shaped by such political tensions? The decision of the EBU to continue to allow Israel reflects the endeavor to use the competition as a platform that remains of cultural importance in times of political turbulence.