Culture 11:45 30/01/2024 World

Swedish music stars want Israel banned from Eurovision

More than 1,000 musical artists from Eurovision host country Sweden have signed an open letter calling for Israel to be excluded from this year’s edition of the song contest over its “brutal warfare in Gaza”, the Guardian reports.

Published in Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet, the open letter says that by allowing Israel to participate, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) “is exhibiting a remarkable double standard that undermines the organisation’s credibility”.

“The fact that countries that place themselves above humanitarian law are welcomed to participate in international cultural events trivialises violations of international law and makes the suffering of the victims invisible,” says the letter, published late on Monday.

Signatories include internationally successful artists such as singers Robyn and Fever Ray, folk duo First Aid Kit, and former Swedish Eurovision contestants such as Eric Saade and Malena Ernman, the mezzo-soprano opera singer who is also the mother of climate activist Greta Thunberg.

The letter comes after a similar petition signed by about 1,400 artists from Finland and Iceland who also called for Israel to be excluded from the song contest, which will be held in Malmö from 7 to 11 May.

In response, EBU announced that Israel would not be excluded, emphasising the event’s apolitical status and arguing that the Eurovision song contest was a contest between public service broadcasters rather than states.

But countries have been excluded from Eurovision in the past. In 2022, EBU banned Russia from the event, saying its entry “would bring the competition into disrepute”. The decision was made by the broadcasting union’s executive board after it initially insisted that Russia would be allowed to compete.



Source Panorama.am
Share |
Տեքստում սխալ կամ վրիպակ նկատելու դեպքում, ուղարկեք խմբագրին հաղորդագրություն` նշելով տվյալ սխալը, այնուհետև սեղմելով Ctrl-Enter:

Newsfeed

14:33
Child dies after being rushed to Yerevan hospital in critical condition
Doctors could not save the life of a child rushed to Yerevan’s Arabkir Medical Center on Monday, Shamshyan.com reported. The...
14:00
No rain in sight for Yerevan this week
Light precipitation is expected in some parts of Armenia on Monday. No rain or snow is forecast for the rest of the week. The...
13:35
Opposition MPs sue Armenian Foreign Ministry
Four lawmakers from the opposition Hayastan bloc have jointly sued Armenia's Foreign Ministry and government over restricted access to the...
13:02
Fiorentina's Edoardo Bove in intensive care after on-pitch collapse
Doctors have provided an update on Edoardo Bove's health after the Fiorentina player collapsed during their match against Inter Milan on...
12:46
ARF Armenia leader on working visit to France
Ishkhan Saghatelyan, the ARF Armenia chair and an MP from the opposition Hayastan bloc, has travelled to France on a three-day working...
12:06
Pro-government MP self-nominates for Gyumri mayor
Pro-government lawmaker Karen Sarukhanyan has self-nominated to become the acting mayor of Gyumri. Armenia’s second largest city has...
11:35
At least 25 killed in counter air strikes on rebels in north-western Syria
Syrian and Russian air strikes killed at least 25 people across north-western Syria on Sunday, The National said on Monday, citing the...
11:22
Magnitude 3․4 earthquake hits Armenia
A magnitude 3․4 earthquake struck Armenia on Monday morning. The quake occurred 11 km northwest of the town of Stepanavan in Lori Province...
11:04
Mirzoyan to attend ICC assembly session for first time
Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan is paying a working visit to the Netherlands on Monday. Following Armenia’s...
17:05
ARF Armenia leader expresses concern over situation in Aleppo
Ishkhan Saghatelyan, the ARF Armenia chair and an opposition Hayastan faction MP, has expressed deep concern about the situation in...
16:36
Armenia closely monitoring developments in Syria – Foreign Ministry
The Armenian Foreign Ministry is closely monitoring the situation in Syria through the channels of the Armenian diplomatic service. In...
16:04
Expert: Turkey called for 'peace' while preparing new attack on Syria
Varuzhan Geghamyan, a Yerevan-based geopolitical strategist and regional security expert, says Turkey used the geopolitical turmoil to...
15:00
Georgian police arrest scores amid ongoing protests
Georgia on Saturday said 107 people were arrested during a second day of protests sparked by the government's decision to delay European...
14:35
World Chess Championship Game 4 ends in draw
The 4th game of the World Chess Championship 2024 ended in a draw by threefold repetition on the 42nd move, the Armenian Chess Federation...
14:05
Archbishop says protest movement in Armenia entered final stage
The Holy Struggle protest movement has entered the final stage, its leader Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan says. In a Facebook live on...
13:35
No rain in sight for Yerevan
No rain or snow is expected in Armenia’s regions on Saturday, next Tuesday and Wednesday. Light precipitation is forecast for Sunday...
13:05
Three wounded in car crash in Armenia's Gegharkunik
A road accident in Armenia’s Gegharkunik Province left three people wounded on Friday evening. Shamshyan.com reported that the crash...
12:30
Zelensky says Nato deal could end war
President Volodymyr Zelensky has suggested that the parts of Ukraine under his control should be taken "under the Nato umbrella" to...
12:00
Young Armenian singer wins Russia competition
17-year-old Elen Badalyan has won the grand final of “Nu-ka, vse vmeste!” (All Together Now) singing competition in Russia with 98...
11:36
Drivers in Armenia warned about black ice on some roads
The Road Department Fund has warned drivers to watch out for black ice on some roads in Armenia. It said in a statement that the Ashotsk,...
11:15
Armenian church honors Apostles Thaddeus and Bartholomew
The Armenian Apostolic Church on Saturday commemorates Saints Thaddeus and Bartholomew, two of the twelve apostles who were the first...
11:07
Armenia suspends humanitarian demining and medical mission in Aleppo
The Defense Ministry has announced the suspension of the Armenian humanitarian demining and medical team’s mission in Aleppo, Syria....
17:00
Armenia's ruling faction could discussion MP's removal
The parliamentary faction of Armenia’s ruling Civil Contract party plans to meet on Friday evening. Citing some reports, News.am said...
16:34
Israel warns Lebanese citizens not to return to 60 villages
The Israeli military has warned Lebanese citizens not to return to 60 villages in the south of the country, three days into a ceasefire after...
16:16
Artsakh people cautious about Armenian citizenship, ombudsman says
The displaced Artsakh Armenians are in no rush to apply for Armenian citizenship for objective and subjective reasons, Artsakh’s Human...
15:36
Russia works on transforming 3+3 platform into organization, senior diplomat says
Russia is working on transforming the 3+3 platform on the South Caucasus into a full-fledged organization, TASS quoted Deputy Foreign...
15:06
Russia committed to all agreements with Armenia, official says
Russia is committed to all agreements with Armenia, both bilaterally and within the EAEU, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin...
14:35
30,000 Azerbaijanis resettled in occupied Artsakh
Azerbaijan's government has already settled about 30,000 people in the occupied Republic of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh)....
14:19
No Armenian citizens among victims of Aleppo clashes
No Armenian citizens have been identified among the victims of Aleppo clashes, Armenian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Ani Badalyan told 1lurer.am...
13:46
Armenian, Azeri deputy PMs meet briefly in Moscow
Armenian Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan had a brief exchange with Azerbaijan's First Deputy Prime Minister Yagub Eyyubov in Moscow....

Follow us and get updates!

Most popular articles

{"core.blocks.header.spell_message1":"Selected mistake: ","core.blocks.header.spell_message2":"Send a message about the mistake?"}