EUROVISION: Greens call for BBC to withdraw from Grand Final
The Scottish Greens have written to the interim Director-General of the BBC ahead of the Eurovision Grand Final on Saturday, demanding that the United Kingdom withdraw from the contest due to the participation of the war-criminal state Israel.
The Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna concludes this weekend with the Grand Final. It will feature an Israeli act following their qualification earlier in the week. The contest has been marred by boycotts from broadcasters and fans, including RTVE in Spain, RTÉ in Ireland, and a number of other national broadcasters.
A recent investigation by the New York Times has uncovered further evidence of Israeli efforts to manipulate the contest and use it as a propaganda tool to repair their global reputation following the brutal genocide inflicted on the people of Palestine.
Last year, the Scottish Greens called for the BBC to withdraw following a controversial vote by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) to allow Israel to participate in this year's contest. Now that Israel has qualified for the Grand Final, the Greens have demanded that the BBC follow the lead of other national broadcasters and boycott the event entirely.
The Greens and others have regularly cited the clear precedent of Russia being immediately suspended from the competition following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The failure to take equivalent action against Israel has led to accusations of double-standards and racism against Eurovision organisers.
In a letter to the BBC interim Director-General, Ross Greer MSP said:
“Over the past few years, the world has witnessed Israel inflict a genocide on the people of Palestine. That has included some of the worst war crimes of this century. Tens of thousands of people have been murdered, children have been deliberately targeted and hostages systematically abused by an Israeli regime that has shown a total contempt for Palestinian lives.
“States committing genocide should not be welcome at Eurovision, or any other cultural event.
"People across Scotland and the United Kingdom are horrified by Israel’s brutal bombing campaigns in Gaza and illegal settlements in the West Bank. For as long as Israel participates in the Eurovision Song Contest, licence fee payers shouldn’t have to fund this pinkwashing propaganda exercise.
“For decades, Eurovision has united our communities from the Black Sea to the Arctic Circle, and now even the other side of the world. The hypocrisy from the European Broadcasting Union in allowing Israel to compete despite the International Criminal Court issuing arrest warrants for high-ranking Israeli government officials has shamed the competition."
Ross added: “Russia and Belarus were rightly excluded following the illegal invasion of Ukraine, with broadcasters like the BBC calling for their expulsion, yet the atrocities inflicted against Palestinians have been overlooked. Spanish broadcaster RTVE and others from Iceland, Ireland, Slovenia, and the Netherlands have exposed this hypocrisy by the EBU and boycotted this year's competition. The BBC can either join them or party with the perpetrators of a genocide.
"I must ask that you withdraw from the competition and not broadcast the Grand Final.
"There can be no place for genocide enablers at Eurovsion, a competition which is supposed to celebrate love and diversity across our communities.”
Letter in full below:
Rhodri Talfan Davies
(Interim) Director-General of the BBC
Dear Mr Davies,
I am writing with deep concern about the BBC’s continued participation in the Eurovision Song Contest Grand Final this Saturday evening, despite the involvement of representatives from a nation involved in heinous war crimes.
Over the past few years, the world has witnessed Israel inflict a genocide on the people of Palestine. That has included some of the worst war crimes of this century. Tens of thousands of people have been murdered, children have been deliberately targeted and hostages systematically abused by an Israeli regime that has shown a total contempt for Palestinian lives.
States committing genocide should not be welcome at Eurovision, or any other cultural event.
People across Scotland and the United Kingdom are horrified by Israel’s brutal bombing campaigns in Gaza and illegal settlements in the West Bank. For as long as Israel participates in the Eurovision Song Contest, licence fee payers shouldn’t have to fund this pinkwashing propaganda exercise.
For decades, Eurovision has united our communities from the Black Sea to the Arctic Circle, and now even the other side of the world. The hypocrisy from the European Broadcasting Union in allowing Israel to compete despite the International Criminal Court issuing arrest warrants for high-ranking Israeli government officials has shamed the competition.
Russia and Belarus were rightly excluded following the illegal invasion of Ukraine, with broadcasters like the BBC calling for their expulsion, yet the atrocities inflicted against Palestinians have been overlooked. Spanish broadcaster RTVE and others from Iceland, Ireland, Slovenia, and the Netherlands have exposed this hypocrisy by the EBU and boycotted this year's competition. The BBC can either join them or party with the perpetrators of a genocide.
I must ask that you withdraw from the competition and not broadcast the Grand Final.
There can be no place for genocide enablers at Eurovsion, a competition which is supposed to celebrate love and diversity across our communities.
Kind regards,
Ross Greer MSP
Scottish Greens co-leader