Ireland, Spain, the Netherlands and Slovenia have threatened to pull out of the Eurovision Song Contest if Israel takes part, proposing to boycott one of the world’s most-watched TV programmes over the war in Gaza.
The growing revolt among participants in the 69-year-old competition, due to be held in Vienna in May, comes amid a growing international backlash against Israel’s offensive against Hamas and the catastrophic humanitarian conditions it has caused in Gaza.
The Netherlands on Friday became the latest nation to condition its participation on Israel’s withdrawal, calling on the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which runs the event, not to allow Israel to compete.