Austria’s Eurovision winner JJ says it’s “disappointing” that Israel continues to participate in the song contest.

“I would like Eurovision to be held in Vienna next year and without Israel. But the ball is in the EBU’s court. We, the artists, can only raise our voices on the matter,” the 24-year-old singer told Spanish daily El Pais.

…

In the El Pais interview, JJ agreed there should be “greater transparency on the issue of televoting.”

“This year it was all very strange”, the classically trained opera singer said. He also backed comments made by last year’s winner, Switzerland’s Nemo, who has repeatedly called for Israel’s expulsion.

“Especially, [Eurovision] needs to make changes in terms of the voting system and who participates in the festival,” JJ told El Pais.

  • ℍ𝕂-𝟞𝟝@sopuli.xyzEnglish
    3·
    11 hours ago

    It’s fine to not know, I didn’t downvote you and gave you an up to compensate.

    I do invite you to watch it, it’s fun and multicultural in a way that a lot of things aren’t. You get an insight into what is cool and hip and counterculture all across more than 30 different language bubbles.

    To be honest, my problem with Israel’s participation, even on top of the genocide, is that they are shamelessly trying to use it as a propaganda tool and are making it about them instead of the shared public of the participants. For the past few years at least, they brought in productions clearly catering to a bland “international” audience, and make it a political issue that they win.

    I don’t watch Eurovision for the umpteenth cookie cutter ballad, I watch it for the Dutch guy doing hakken while coming to tears on how much he loves to live in the heart of Europe (and his dad), or the Nordics/Baltics doing something that redefines weird every year, or the enby spinning top opera singer, or whatever this was.

    So to be honest, IMO they should be banned FOR the genocide in the first place, and not because the EBU is the new ICC, but you shouldn’t stand on the same stage as a political instrument of Nazis, lest you become a Nazi bar. And they also should be banned for blatantly making it a political issue instead of participating in the actual song contest. And yes, Ukraine was different.