Organizers of the Eurovision Song Contest on Thursday ruled out the idea of excluding Israel from the competition, unlike its stance on Russia in the wake of the country's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
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Calls to ban Israel from the competition came from several countries following the war in Gaza, triggered by the terror attack of unprecedented scale launched on October 7 by Hamas from the Gaza Strip.
“Comparisons between war and conflict are complex and difficult and, as an apolitical media organization, it is not our place to make them,” Noel Curran, chief executive of the European Broadcasting Union, which brings together the broadcasters of the competition, told AFP.
He said the EBU is "aware" of the many voices being raised to exclude Israel from this year's competition, which will be represented in May by singer Eden Golan.
"However, the Eurovision Song Contest is a non-political musical event and a competition between public service broadcasters that are members of the EBU. It is not a competition between governments," Curran noted.
Meanwhile, A group of 400, actors, musicians, and other entertainment figures, including Helen Mirren, Liev Schreiber, Juliana Margulies, Sharon Osbourne, and Gene Simmons signed an open letter supporting Israel's participation in the Eurovision Song Contest.
Published by the non-profit industry organization Creative Community for Peace, the letter backs the decision of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) - the organizers of the competition - to keep Israel in the contest. The letter states that punishing Israel would be an "inversion of justice."
"Israel is fighting a war against a European Union-designated terrorist group that once again broke a cease-fire that day (October 7), and then went on to slaughter over 1,200 people," according to the letter. "This current round of fighting is not a war that Israel wanted or started."